


Obnoxious Bonds

by kolbietheninja



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bromances all around actually, Canon - Anime, Canon Divergence, Crossover, Gen, Mother-Hen!Kusakabe, Mother-Hen!Romario too, Not touching the manga, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Reincarnation, Sasuke is Hibari, Sasuke/Hibari has an awesome bromance with Ryohei, this fic is getting away from me i swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2014-10-28
Packaged: 2018-02-13 20:32:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2164218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kolbietheninja/pseuds/kolbietheninja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasuke finds that some things are worth fighting for, and then, he dies. Fortunately, Namimori is in need of a protector (whether they want one or not), and he's quite willing to step into that role. Unfortunately, Sawada Tsunayoshi is one of its inhabitants, and he comes with his own brand of crazy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. prologo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic has been cross-posted to Fanfiction.net.

**Prologue**

As he stands in front of the intricately carved graves, his eyes expressing an age far beyond his physical years, the young Hibari heir—Head of the family, now—wonders, not for the first time, why _he_ was given a 'second chance'. His grip on the flowers in his hands tightens noticeably even as his facial features remain indifferent, and his charcoal eyes, which have remained the same as Before, search the stones in front of him for answers they can never give him.

His parents in this lifetime had been no different from the last—strict, stern, distant, loving. The Uchiha in him would have recoiled in disgust at such a comparison (His parents _loved him_ , and their memory is _sacred, goddamnit!_ ), but after spending most of his life as Sasuke cherishing their memory and hating his brother, his revenge eating away at him and everything that made him _himself_ , he has become very tired of it all.

He would even go so far as to say that his love and affection died with Uchiha Sasuke, and Hibari Kyouya was reborn with only his apathy and bitterness. And _oh_ , is he bitter. He finally, _finally_ discovers the truth behind _everything_ from his undead brother and rushes to help Naruto (and, to a lesser extent, his former comrades) end the war. And what happens? He takes some weird jutsu to the chest after pushing Naruto out of the way, and as his vision slowly fills with utter darkness, he feels drops of liquid on his face that could only be tears. (What kind of soft-hearted idiot cries for a traitor?)

And then, he wakes up to giants manhandling him, _not_ the burning flames of Hell he'd been expecting. (Although, those first few years of sheer helplessness and humilation as a baby and then toddler could certainly be interchangeable with a thousand fiery deaths.) Even more startling, upon waking, he'd immediately attempted to seek out his chakra to dispel what surely must have been a genjutsu only to come up with nothing. The chakra coils had _not been there_. He'd been on his own for most of his life and lost countless allies along the way, but his chakra had always, _always_ been dependably, solidly present.

The terror he felt at being so powerless and weak was overwhelming in its intensity, and later, it fueled his desire to grow stronger, no matter the obstacles.

When he calmed down enough to notice he wasn't being tortured or even directly addressed, he decided to just go along with the charade. As long as he didn't cause any trouble, it seemed, he wouldn't draw attention to himself and, thus, any sort of punishment. He spent his toddler years (the parts he hasn't purposely blocked out to save his pride) learning the new language and how to walk so that he could begin taking care of himself (which was made both easier and more difficult by his expectant parents.)

A born and bred shinobi, he convinced his parents to have him begin weapons training, and they agreed so long as the weapon wasn't obviously dangerous, i.e. knives, swords, etc. The Hibaris had a name to uphold, and their protecting of Namimori took place in the _shadows_. His sensei, an older man reminiscent of the Sandaime Hokage whom refused to share his name (Gossipmongers attributed this to senility, but Kyouya recognized paranoia in the battle-hardened man), pegged him as a Tonfa-wielder.

And so, their lessons began.

After a while, he began to accept this new reality as his own. Everything was far too real to be _fake_ , and so he surmised that the Death God had wanted to have one last laugh and place Uchiha Sasuke into the body of a newborn. Slowly, he began to feel (what he assumes is) love for these new parental figures of his, and he actually began to enjoy their company, if only a tiny bit.

Two years later, Kyou and Suzume lie buried under his feet, and five year old Kyouya can only think about the similarities between this life and the last. (It seemed only fitting that he would be deprived of parents in both of his life spans.) He spends quite a bit of time in their family graveyard, and so engrossed in his thoughts is he that he doesn't notice the new presence approaching him until a hand clamps down on his shoulder. Reflexes and self-preservation instincts kick in, and neither of them are really aware of the situation until Kyouya is kneeling on said person's back, one hand restraining the man's arms and the other with a tonfa poised to strike.

"Who are you?" The young Hibari is the first to speak, his voice lined with steel and promising to reward deception with pain. The man he is restraining looks to be in his late twenties, and Kyouya recognizes him as one of the many guests at the funeral. He had categorized the man as a non-threat, considering his entire being had screamed 'lackey.' Now, he knows for certain that his assessment had been correct. The man was easily taken down by a child.

Visibly nervous, he answers in a shaky voice, "My name is... Jurou, Hibari-sama." He hesitantly tacks on, "... I have been sent to retrieve you." At the harsh tug on of his hair, he hurriedly continues, "My boss has offered to be your new guardian."

Hibari snorts internally at this, mind a buzz with the new information. He _had_ wondered about the laws regarding children in this world (a world without _chakra_... Oh, how even Naruto would laugh at him if he were to talk of such a thing), but he'd figured he would deal with it when the time came. The time has _come_ , and he now has an idea of what to expect. Rising carefully and elegantly from the awkward position, Hibari merely stands to the side as the man, Jurou, scrambles to his feet and eyes him warily.

"Tell your boss I have no need of a guardian," he spits out the last word in distaste, eyes narrowing in on Jurou as he draws himself up to protest. The man takes one look at the tonfa (now wielded in both hands) and Hibari's dangerously gleaming eyes and stops himself from making a grave error.

"Yes, Hibari-sama. Boss will be displeased, but..." He trails off, leaving unsaid what they both know would happen should Jurou attempt to take him by force. He then nods a farewell and practically runs out of the graveyard and away from the scary five year old he was sent to kidnap. Surely a beating from his comrades would be far less humilating than one from a small child?

Kyouya barely manages to refrain from rolling his eyes at the display. Now that _that's_ taken care of, he angles his head toward the trees not far from his position and calls out, "You can come out now." Only a moment passes before a curiously masculine boy steps out from the cover of the trees and meets Kyouya's gaze head on where most grown men cannot. He does not lower his weapons. "Who are you?"

Showing his upturned palms in the general sign of surrender as he walks steadily toward Hibari, the boy, who could be no older than Kyouya, answeres, "Tetsuya Kusakabe." Kyouya's stance does not waver even as the boy advances upon him. His eyes do widen almost imperceptibly as Kusakabe stops mere feet from him and bows. "Hibari-sama, I would like to request to become your loyal servant."

The silence stretches on as Kyouya mulls over the validity of this offer before the boy elaborates, "The Kusakabe family has served the Hibari Family for generations. I wish to uphold that tradition and form a bond with you, Hibari-sama."

Kyouya can detect no deceit from the male in front of him, and so his face becomes unreadable as he considers the pros and cons. Finally, he taps Kusakabe's shoulder with his tonfa. "I accept." And having reached his speaking quota for the day, Kyouya waits only for the boy to resume standing before he heads off without another word, expecting his new servant to follow behind. He does, and Kyouya allows himself a small quirk of the lip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -New language because Konoha is in the Elemental Nations, not Japan(?) (It seems weird that they just so happen to be the same; I also personally find it cooler.)  
> -I have no clue how Hibari came to know Kusakabe or anything about Hibari's past (if that's ever revealed)  
> -I haven't read any of the new Naruto chapters, so nothing I write can really be considered a spoiler. (Unless I happen to make a lucky guess)


	2. esordio

**I.**

Hibari has no doubts now that the Law Enforcement is completely incompetent. Considering his previous life as a nuke-nin where they'd been utterly useless in upholding their _own laws_ , he is not the least bit surprised. Any respect he might have held for any authority other than his own was extinguished when he beheld the pitiful excuses for this world's military.

He almost scoffs even now when he thinks of those "well-meaning" men in crisp uniforms who intended to "give him to a good home." Kyouya is no _dog._ When he dropped into a fighting stance, tonfa held securely in both hands, the men only had enough time to blink in surprise before they were quickly and efficiently taken down. No one has attempted to abduct him since that pathetic display, perhaps having heard rumors of the lethal protectors of Namimori or not wanting to chance their own quick demise.

"Scum" is too kind of a term for them. At least shinobi gave a good fight, no matter the less than favorable end results ( _for them_.) These sheltered (because that's exactly what Kyouya would describe this world; they know nothing of the harsh lives of ninja) men and women don't deserve such a moniker. They are arrogant, ignorant fools.

_Herbivores_.

He has fangs of the highest caliber, and he will use them to bring order and discipline to this chaotic society.

"That's him! The little kid who left Boss in _that_ state!" A chorus of indignant cries follow this statement, and an obsidian eye cracks open agitatedly to take in a mob of high schoolers armed with various weapons and disturbing the quiet afternoon (and more importantly, his musing.) Either of these infractions would guarantee a tonfa to the gut, but both of them simultaneously warrant the full extent of his wrath.

Kyouya stifles a yawn as he rises to his feet, tonfa already out in full view, before turning his gaze on the disruptive morons some five feet from him. The effect of his glare is instanteous, and their once righteous anger is doused by fear. Kyouya does not smirk as he once might have done when he was really twelve and intimidated his opponents so; at the accumulative age of twenty-nine, he expects such a reaction.

One particularly cumbersome delinquent disregards all logic and charges Hibari in a fit of fright-induced madness, and the rest of his men are but a moment behind him. At this, Kyouya's teeth become bared of their own volition, perhaps a reaction to the utter thrill he gets from fighting; nevertheless, the expression is so predatorial and absolutely terrifying that Head Moron actually hesitates in his blind charge, suddenly questioning everything he'd done in his life up until this point and his instincts screaming at him to flee.

It's not enough.

Just before he lunges, Kyouya tries out a new threat he'd been toying with when considering his place in this world.

"I'll bite you to death."

And so begins Hibari Kyouya's reign of terror (and his questionably beast-like catchphrase.)

**II.**

His servant is... adequate.

Kusakabe Tetsuya is nothing like the children their age, and his mannerisms even rival (and often surpass) that of this town's adults.

If Kyouya had any worries about the boy's abilities (Not that such an emotion ever graces him with its presence), he would certainly have forgotten them by now. The boy was obviously raised in the ways of the Hibari Family as Kyouya has witnessed time and again. With no verbal directions from Kyouya, Kusakabe took up residence in one of the guest rooms located closest to the main family chambers (i.e. his quarters) and traversed his way around the Hibari Grounds with no visible trouble at all.

The indifference Kyouya displays on aristocratic features on a daily basis is far from feigned; as of yet, nothing has piqued his interest—which is, admittedly, quite difficult to accomplish. Whereas once he had ambition (revenge) and a (some-what) worthy rival, now he has petty thieves and contemptible yakuza—that is, except his servant. Hibari is aware of his favoring of tomatoes, and seeing this as something personal, and therefore, a weakness, he makes doubly sure not to show any special attention to the controversial fruit.

And yet, despite his controlled actions, his servant still somehow realized his passion for them after only one meal (that consisted of traditional Japanese food, yet another preference of his.) His charcoal eyes had widened imperceptibly when Kusakabe had relayed his discovery, but his apparently perceptive follower had caught that, too, if the absolutely pleased expression on his man-like face was anything to go by.

The relationship reminds him of Team Hawk, and he grudgingly accepts the companionship he is (gifted/) afforded in this life as well.

**III.**

The education between two realms of existence would obviously be very different, what with having entirely different histories of creation, leaders, cultures, and so and so forth. There are only so many ways to teach children, however, and in such a peaceful society, Shuriken Throwing or daily spars would, of course, be absent from curriculum as well, leaving only lectures and bookwork. (PE does _not_ count.)

Let be it said that, although Uchiha Sasuke graduated at the top of his class (and was awarded Rookie of the Year), he has never, ever _enjoyed_ schoolwork like a certain pink-haired teammate might have (or most probably did) in the Academy. He'd worked vigorously with the mindset that, in order to beat his brother, he'd have to be The Best at everything involving ninja, and knowing every answer on the test was another way to achieve that. He'd had a goal, so despite being mind-numbingly boring, he'd actually paid attention to their various sensei ( _unlike_ most of the rest of the Rookie Nine.)

Up until the age of twelve ( _twenty-nine_ ), Kyouya _also_ took in his teachers' lessons with a fervor, so he could learn more about the world he now inhabits (and mostly how the government and military are run.) Using the terms of this world, the Elemental Nations were most likely a parliamentary monarchy, where each nation has a feudal lord and the council (or parliament) has people who discuss what should happen. The Hidden Villages were, apparently, exempt from this as their government was more similar to a dictatorship with a scarce few advisors. (Though he knows that if were to ask the Sandaime or the Godaime, they would tell him that the Council almost always had their hands tied, and therefore, none of the decisions were really theirs.)

Japan, the country he now calls 'home', has a constitutional monarchy, where the power of the Emperor is limited, relegated primarily to ceremonial duties. His role is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people", and it's really only the Prime Minister of Japan who has any power to speak of. After him, there are other groups split into 'this' and 'that', and Kyouya stopped caring at some point because the whole system seems unnecessarily complicated and equally as pointless. Dictatorships are heavily frowned upon in this society, but Kyouya rather thinks the Hidden Villages, at the very least, had that part right.

One person ruling with an iron fist and without a group of selfish, bigatory old men and women to discuss and debate trivial topics while the bigger issues go largely ignored sounds like the kind of place Kyouya would enjoy and perhaps even vy for leadership. His momentary but vehement wish to become Hokage was dashed, so why not? Nevertheless, such a thing would take a lot of time and patience, and Hibari has other problems to attend to at the moment.

Were his mind not occupied by the completely unfathomable question his subordinate has asked of him, he would have gladly knocked the deadpanned expression off of the now thirteen-year old male. As it is, he only finds himself staring blankly at said lackey, waiting for the inevitable punchline. When all that greets him after several moments is silence, he repeats, "New uniform?"

Tone exasperated (Hibari notes somewhere in the still-functioning part of his mind that he will have to beat discipline back into his servant), Kusakabe reiterates, "I've placed your new uniform in your closet, Hibari-sama. You'll be going to Namimori Middle on April 1st, my lord."

"Namimori Middle?" It seems that Kyouya is only able to parrot certain words back to Tetsuya. At least they are important words, in any case.

Kusakabe once again understands his leader without any help on Kyouya's part, and he explains, "Yes, my lord. Though high school is optional, middle school, which consists of grades seven through nine, is required for all Japanese citizens." He finishes calmly and waits for the explosion, _not_ pondering how his leader could have such a large oversight regarding his education. He's noticed Hibari-sama has a tendency to focus only on himself, and even then, his leader would probably starve without Kusakabe's cooking expertise and weekly grocery trips. The thought pleases and worries him in equal amounts.

Hibari, after this revelation, is feeling neither worried nor pleased; he is _livid._ What kind of world is this? He's known, of course, that this world is completely different from his in even trivial things such as hair and eye color, but _this_? This is nothing short of insulting. He was considered an _adult_ at twelve years of age in his last life; he was a nationally recognized criminal by fifteen. Being _forced_ to continue his education is galling, even more so when he considers the so-called 'authority' that decreed such a law.

The _last_ time the adults in charge of his well-being were ill-equipped, he turned tail and ran (albeit to a source of power), and only after a few years did he make his own vigilante group. Well, _this_ time, he will do no such thing. Rising from his seat and barely-touched smoked salmon and rice, he exits the room with no explanation, leaving Kusakabe to once again clean up after him.

When he returns, fully dressed and armed, he answers Kusakabe's raised eyebrow with a, "We're going to recruit some of the less herbivorous yakuza."

"Yes, Hibari-sama."

**IV.**

Shaking his head in disbelief at his leader's demands and yet knowing that they will be acquiesced regardless, Kusakabe Tetsuya opens the door to the student-led Club Advisory room and is met with the expected sight of a bored student worker sitting at a desk with stacks of paper neatly lined up and categorized. The sound of the door closing rouses the attention of the worker, whom Kusakabe realizes is an upperclassmen, and he is greeted with a pasted-on smile and equally as fake 'cheery' greeting.

"Hello and welcome! Have you filled out all of the information? Place the forms in this stack, please." The student gestures to a specific pile, but Kusakabe is not really here for club matters.

He begins, "Actually..."

Recognizing the forms in his hands, the worker asks, "Oh? Those papers... You want to make a new club?"

"Hibari-sama wishes to create a Disciplinary _C_ _ommittee,_ " only slightly hesitant, he places emphasis on the last word to get his point across, and it apparently works as the student blinks at him uncertainly.

"'Committee'? Um, I don't think-"

Wanting to get this whole fiasco-to-be over with, Kusakabe interrupts. "It would be in your best interests to comply, sempai."

"Are you threatening-" the worker squawks before being interrupted yet again by a new voice.

"Kusakabe... What is taking so long?" Impatient (a trait Kusakabe actually shares with his leader), Hibari-sama entered the room and is now giving both Kusakabe and the student an irritated glare.

"Hibari-sama, I apologize. I was simply negotiating terms with this sempai." Unhelpful said sempai may be, but the student _is_ ignorant to the sheer amount of power the black-haired twelve-year old perched against the wall really has and how easily the boy would use that power to greviously injure _both_ of them for any number of (less than justifiable) reasons. If he could just head his leader off, the situation could be-

"Now, wait a minute! I never agreed to this, and there's no way the school board will approve."

"Hn?"

...salvaged. Well. Sighing mournfully, he rubs his temples and mutters, " _Now_ you've done it. I told you..."

"What?"

"I'll bite you to death."

"Ahh!"

With another sigh, Kusakabe wards off any curious onlookers who may invoke his leader's wrath and any wayward teachers who might attempt to break up the fight (and still incur Hibari-sama's wrath.)

After many, many attempts by one Kusakabe Tetsuya to calm Hibari Kyouya and just as many casualties, both of their names were spread via the gossip-chain, awarding them notoriety, and somehow permission was gained from the (shrinking, frightened) principal.

Thus, the Disciplinary Committee, with Hibari as its Head and Kusakabe as the Second-in-Command, was formed.

(Completely coincidentally, this is also the only day Kyouya was ever seen in class by any of his classmates or teachers. Consequent rounds through hallways and around the school, however, are a common sight after this day, and knowledge that the roof and a certain office are Disciplinary Committee property is widely known.)

**V.**

Kyouya can't recall ever 'missing' his former comrades (not that he would admit as much if he could), but if he ever had to rank his previous villagemates in such a way, Rock Lee would most certainly _never_ have made the hypothetical list. The boy was loud, intrusive, _emotional_ , and way too 'youthful' for him. (The way the green-clad male so utterly and easily defeated him upon their first meeting might have something to do with his low opinion of him as well.) Truth be told, Sasuke was quite glad to be rid of him after the Chunin Exams, and Kyouya was thankful for the reprieve from the war.

(In his more bitter, cruel reverie, he wonders why it couldn't have been Lee who'd been downed and not the quiet Hyuuga; but for all he knows, they _all_ could have been wiped out, and that masked bastard could be living it up in his creepy Infinite Tsukuyomi even as Kyouya muses.)

Regardless, the point he's trying to make is that Rock Lee and he never would have gotten along, so it _really_ must just be some after-effect of the Uchiha curse that led to this probable reincarnation of the so-called 'Leaf Village's Handsome Devil', Sasagawa Ryohei.

For _some_ reason, the energetic First Year has decided to become Kyouya's friend at all costs, even going so far as to follow him onto the roof wherein he indulges in the (more than) occasional nap, despite the multiple beatings and rejections. This dogged persistence is somewhat surprising to Hibari, who was quite certain he'd made it very clear to everyone his preference for solitude.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), Hibari was born with looks similar to that of his old body, and it didn't take long for admiring gaggles of students to surround him in this life. Fangirls had been the bane of his existence even up until his death, and he'd learned from personal experience that ignoring them only further encouraged the ogling and grouping around him. Showing no mercy to either sex (Sexism wasn't as much of a problem in the Hidden Villages when chakra reserves depended largely on chance, and even then, small reserves weren't even necessarily inhibiting if one could use them effectively), Hibari made quick work of them, and crowding was not to be done in his presence henceforth.

Other than Kusakabe, who is more his subordinate than comrade and easily replaceable, no one has attempted to befriend him, especially not after becoming acquainted with his tonfa. Sasagawa is more trouble than he's worth, but he has gained _some_ of Kyouya's respect for his determination (and the fact that he can stand after even a glancing blow). Mostly, he is annoyed, and Kusakabe's suggestion to just _accept_ the boxing fanatic's invitation only earns him a scalding glance. His subordinate really should have known better than to propose he nap somewhere else, though. Kyouya doesn't _run_. The subsequent beating should have been expected.

The situation was only resolved by an opportunity presented by a particularly bad fight between Kyouya and Ryohei. Sasagawa's sister, who is quite pretty but Kyouya had, quite honestly, seen prettier, approached him a day or two afterward with a request to aid the boxing club in a boxing tournament against Nobuyuki Middle that her brother would no longer be able to participate in because of his injuries. Seizing the chance, Hibari agreed with the condition that Sasagawa never pester him to join the boxing club again after the tournament. Ryohei eagerly consented, and with this, the tournament was decided.

Kyouya obviously won, and nothing of any real note took place.

(There _is_ the fact that Ryohei had, up until this point, thought Kusakabe to be the revered Hibari Kyouya. There was a collective face-palm after this revelation, but Ryohei didn't notice, too busy laughing and happily clapping the real Hibari on the back. His then-partially healed wounds worsened via a pair of tonfa, but Ryohei will only remember the victory in boxing and the learning of his [not]friend's name. Kyouya marks it as the day he lost any respect he may have gained for the male Sasagawa.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Hibari has grey eyes, but Sasuke's are black. Black eyes are cooler, so that is that.  
> -Once again, according to Reborn Wikia, next to nothing is known about Hibari's past, so much (all) of this is more fanon than canon.  
> -Sasuke liking tomatoes, however, is canon.  
> -Hibari does live in a mansion, interestingly enough, and his parents are rumored to have been descendants of a high-ranking person (such as a warlord.)  
> -Technically, Sasuke wasn't the best in the class; his overall rank was second to Ino.  
> -The government in Naruto is never explicitly labeled, so this is all guesswork (and compiled answers from Google.)  
> -The explanation of Japan's government is from Wikipedia. Make of that what you will.  
> -Everything involving Japanese schooling comes from searching on Google as well.  
> -The 'Fangirl 'till Death' thing is obviously referring to Karin.  
> -The scenario with Ryohei is canon, too.


	3. scompiglio

**I.**

The Namimori Disciplinary Committee Headquarters was, of course, the most luxurious office in the middle school building. Despite his previous life on the run—or maybe especially _because_ of it—Hibari is definitely (inwardly) pleased by the lush couches and exquisite decor that not even the Hokage's office could boast to have. Even now, were The Idiot ever to find out, he can imagine his old teammate griping about the 'unfairness' of Sasuke having the better room regardless of his position as Hokage, and the smugness settles in his stomach pleasantly.

His perch on the window overlooking the front courtyard of the school is an added bonus, and he stifles a yawn as he searches the grounds for possible crowding and infractions. His efforts are rewarded when he spots a boxer-clad student whom he recognizes to be the first years' 'No Good' Sawada Tsunayoshi race to the school entrance and begin professing his romantic affections toward the star of the freshman class, Sasagawa Kyoko. Somewhat curious as to the outcome (and mentally noting to punish the kid for nudity), Hibari watches as the girl runs away, and the boy is promptly punched to the ground by the school's Kendo Captain, Mochida Kensuke.

Slightly irritated at the preëmptive strike (but mostly because violence by anyone other than the Disciplinary Committee isn't allowed on school grounds), Kyouya waves away Kusakabe's concern and swiftly stalks to the first floor, his presence alone scaring students into their classrooms and causing teachers to straighten up and begin their lessons. The reactions do little to calm his agitation, and he steps out of the front entrance only to come upon Sawada still cowering before the athlete.

"There's no way Kyoko would go out with the likes of—" Mochida sneers at the frightened student before an onlooker's shout interrupts him.

"It's Hibari Kyouya!"

Gasps of horror resound around the clearing as the loitering students notice the pissed off Disciplinary Committee Head striding toward the public dispute and seemingly looking to bite any unfortunate bystanders (i.e. _them_ ) to death, and the entrance is soon occupied only by those involved in the incident and the one who intends to effectively end it as the others disperse almost immediately.

Hibari, paying no heed to the fleeing children, brandishes his tonfa and prepares to dish out punishments. Sawada whimpers in his place on the ground, too frightened to move, and Mochida, despite gulping nervously, manages to pull together a cocky grin after glancing back at his three remaining comrades.

Unwisely, Kensuke draws himself up in an attempt at intimidation, unsheathing his shinai and resting it against his shoulder as he does so, and declares, "Unlike everyone else in this town, you don't scare me so easily, Delinquent Committee Head." His tone is self-important, and he seems to draw even more courage (stupidity) from his cronies' starry eyes at his insolence.

One cronie breaks out of his daze long enough to interject, "It's 'Disciplinary' Committee, Mochida-sama!"

"Oh? So it is. I personally don't see the difference." The boy seems to take vindictive glee in this statement, and he looks to Hibari for a reaction.

Unperturbed, Kyouya stays silent as waits (impatiently) for their fight to begin.

Angered by the lack of response, Kensuke scowls for a moment before his lips curl upwards, and he levels his weapon at Hibari. "It's about time someone knocked you down a few pegs, and I'm just the person to do it." With that, he moves in for an upward strike only to meet thin air. Quickly spinning around, he barely brings the shinai up in time to block one metal rod; alas, Kyouya's second weapon isn't made for show, and it delivers a breath-taking blow to Mochida's gut, the force of it actually causing him to land painfully a few feet away.

Struggling to his feet, he wipes the bit of blood that dribbled out on his chin and then hastily draws his wooden sword once more as Hibari strikes again. Panicking now that his chance of success has lowered considerably, Kensuke demands of his comrades, "Guys! Attack him!" Either not knowing fear or perhaps ignorant of their own demise, the remaining kendo trio wield their weapons and rush the lone Committee member, certain of their inevitable victory.

"I'll bite you to death."

Unbeknownst to them, Kyouya is quite adept at facing multiple opponents, and when considering the laughable fighting skills of his new adversaries, the overall success rate of their plan is most likely in the negatives. Thus, it isn't long before a pile of unconscious bodies lay at his feet, and a couple of Disciplinary Committee members arrive to cart them off to the Nurse's Office (or so people assume.)

Disappointed by the subpar battle, Hibari withholds a sigh. Returning his attention to the _other_ offender, Kyouya spots Sawada in relatively the same position as before (on the ground and still half-naked) with the exception of his conversing with a finely dressed toddler. Kyouya's honed danger senses (that every shinobi worth his salt develops) dismiss Sawada, who squeaks in surprise at Hibari's scrutiny, as harmless, but when the baby meets his cool gaze, a wave of (what he recognizes to be) killing intent washes over him. Goosebumps break out unseen on his flesh in both fear and excitement. "Ciaossu."

_"In this world, there exists kids younger than you... yet stronger than me."_

For all that Kakashi was a laid back fool, Hibari will admit (only to himself) that for every lame excuse the man tried to pull, he had some useful knowledge to impart as well. Kyouya doesn't often find himself quoting his former sensei (or dwelling on the past at all, really), but Kakashi's warning to them during their first C-Rank mission when The Idiot had complained about a kid being stronger than him indubitably describes the infant smirking at Kyouya now.

Without warning, he flings himself at the baby, tonfa aiming for the kid's head, and much as he'd expected, his metal is parried (with a _green gun_ , curiously enough.) Ignoring Sawada's screech of "Waah! What are you doing?!", Hibari stares determinedly at the toddler and commands, "Fight me." Self-preservation pales in comparison to Kyouya's utter boredom, and despite his unfamiliarity with this world and the warning bells going off in his mind, he doesn't envision himself losing so easily.

The baby's smirk widens in pleasant surprise as if Hibari has passed a test of some sort, and a calculating gleam enters his eyes. The expression is so startlingly familiar that Hibari can almost _see_ a masked face and a smiling eye in place of the baby fat. In his momentary distraction, the toddler manages to break free of their stalemate and jumps a few paces away onto Sawada's shoulder, much to the boy's shock. "Reborn!"

Still smirking, 'Reborn' retorts in a squeaky voice, "Not now, Hibari Kyouya." And apparently dismissing him, he returns his attention to the brunette. "You'd better get to class, No Good-Tsuna. Mafia Bosses aren't late."

Indignant, the boy replies, "But it's _your_ fault I'm late!"

The baby's response to that statement is a kick to the head, and Sawada is quick to apologize and sprint to class. Kyouya spares but a moment to see that the student actually enters the school only to glance back and find that his opponent has disappeared.

"'Mafia Boss', huh?"

Disappointed at the lost opportunity and yet equally thrilled at the prospect of a challenge, Hibari finally heads back toward the school, intent on beginning his daily rounds, and decides on a whim that he'll let Sawada off for presenting him with a worthy combatant.

(His mercy only extends to this one incident, though. Should anything else happen, the punishment _will_ be carried out.)

**II.**

"Oi! Kyouya! I know you're up here, you extremely lazy bum!"

He won't groan. He _won't_. It's unbecoming of the Uchiha _and_ the Hibaris, and he is fortunate enough to call himself by both names. Thankfully, he manages to contain his ire and instead only cracks open an obsidian eye to take in Rock Lee 2.0 or, rather, Sasagawa Ryohei peering at him from above. The sight is a common one, unfortunately, and the rest of Kyouya's good mood is quickly waning. "Hn." He defaults to this response only in front of this student simply because remaining silent usually just encourages the male Sasagawa.

"Skipping class today, too, huh, Kyouya? At this rate, I'm going to be smarter than you to the extreme!" Ryohei breaks out into raucous laughter at his own assumption, and Hibari barely refrains from rolling his eyes.

The normal formula for these interactions would now involve: Sasagawa demanding Hibari train with him (a not-so-clever loophole in their No-Recruiting agreement), Hibari declining, Ryohei deciding that he'll show Hibari the 'benefits' of said training, and the two of them trading blows until the bell rings. This is an established routine, and it comes as no surprise ( _to Ryohei_ ) when Ryohei promptly does something he's never done before—

He plops down on the roof beside Kyouya and takes out a bento.

Hibari's face slackens involuntarily in shock, and he hastens to remedy this. Ryohei takes no notice, however, for he is set upon devouring (presumably) homemade octo-weenies and rice. Kyouya observes the other boy as he spends several moments this way, and though he is curious as to the motive, he wouldn't stoop so low as to _ask_ the other boy and perhaps interrupt the lovely silence they've (somehow) created.

Mentally shrugging when nothing untowards occurs after some time of this and considering a quiet Ryohei to be much more preferable to a talkative Ryohei, Kyouya eventually relaxes his tense muscles (but never his awareness) and closes his eyes once again.

"Kyouya! How can you be _sleeping_ when you're supposed to be eating lunch to the extreme?!"

(Needless to say, yet another fight broke out between the two Not Friends, and one Sasagawa Kyoko could only sigh in fond exasperation at her brother's tale before calmly explaining to him, once again, fighting does not friends make.)

**III.**

First, it was Rock Lee. Then, he (possibly) found Kakashi. And now?

As Kyouya observes the trio from his perch against the building—or, more specifically, the silver-haired transfer student Gokudera Hayato, who never seems to tire of switching between singing Sawada Tsunayoshi's praises and snapping at Yamamoto Takeshi—he is mostly positive he has found the equivalent of this world's Haruno Sakura.

Putting aside his thoughts on encountering an old teammate again, Hibari isn't certain how he's supposed to regard these... 'versions' of people in his past life. Are they Reincarnations? If so, the underlying meaning of such an explanation could only point toward their dying in the war and somehow ending up like him, sans the memories. Why _he_ remembers and whether or not he was _supposed_ to are questions that will, perhaps, remain unanswered; and Kyouya is not one much for dwelling on useless things, anyway.

If these 'versions' are only just that—alternate selves—or maybe just people who happen to fit certain characteristics of his (former) comrades, and Kyouya's mind is attempting to complete puzzles with partially compatible pieces, Kyouya _still_ has no definite answer. Regardless, his reaction to any of these is the same: wariness. Then again, that's his reaction to any situation wherein he doesn't know for certain who has the upper hand.

On the topic of seeing Sakura again, Sasuke can find none of the kunoichi she'd become (marginally less annoying and somewhat capable); the frivolous, violent girl she'd been is evident, and Hibari can't understand why she ever thought she'd gain his attention (or anyone else's, really) acting in such a manner. A part of himself, perhaps the part that's really fifteen, can't help but find the fact that his former teammate was reincarnated as a _male_ amusing. S/he even retained the same haircut; it's just as well s/he befriended _two_ people with Naruto-esque qualities—Sawada, the Dead Last/No Good, and Yamamoto, the always cheerful idiot.

As the three of them (or four, counting the baby) make their way out of the school, the toddler sends him another calculating look, and Hibari stops himself from attacking then and there. The fact that the trio is being guided by the (possible) Kakashi reincarnation is not lost on Kyouya; neither is the fact that his name is 'Reborn.' Pushing off from the wall, he yawns and then contacts his subordinates to clean up the mess.

The school may not have been damaged in the crossfire, but bringing explosives to school is deserving of a lesson in discipline. He'll punish them tomorrow (and perhaps challenge the baby.)

**IV.**

Delinquent #73—otherwise known as Oda Daisuke, a fellow Disciplinary Committee Member, or That Guy—wipes a bead of sweat from his brow and once again sweeps his gaze over the many holes littered throughout the roof, and he wonders, not for the first time, just what's been happening at Namichuu lately. He and his comrades have been witness to the damage done to the school (because they've been the ones to clean it up) many times, but they've never been given an explanation.

His pompadour suddenly droops into his vision, and he quickly pulls out his mini-bottle of gel and smooths the hair back. It wouldn't do to have anything less than perfection; it's their Second-in-Command that he's honoring, and he can't screw it up. Contrary to popular belief, the DC members didn't choose this hairstyle because they're all former delinquents; and The Second wasn't their first choice. Boss felt that his Second deserved the honor more, though, so they easily acquiesced.

Their Head is modest as well as kind. Who else would take them from their crummy lives as gang members on the streets and give them sweet uniforms and special entry into such an exclusive committee? No one but their Boss; that's who. Hibari-sama is always fighting for justice, too, like those unconventional heroes Daisuke sees on TV sometimes; he rights wrongs and teaches people discipline, whereas others would look the other way and let injustice continue. That reminds him of a quote he'd learned in class a some point (before he'd stopped going altogether): "Evil thrives when good men do nothing" or something.

Well, his Boss and Second won't stand for crap like that, and neither will the rest of the Disciplinary Committee members.

They are Namimori's Heroes, after all.

**V.**

It just figures that this kind-of-but-not-really Team 7 would invade his office and knock out his subordinates. His charcoal gaze takes in the unconscious Committee members, Sawada asleep on the couch, Yamamoto Takeshi eyeing _him_ warily, Sak—Gokudera Hayato raring for a fight with him, and the baby making espresso on his desk. Few things really anger him these days; interfering with his minions and office (but mainly the office) are definitely among the few.

The transfer student, perhaps not having heard of him, assumes Kyouya is just another lackey and takes a swing at him. Hibari, in no mood for mercy, doesn't even allow the boy(/girl) a moment to realize the overwhelming difference between their power levels; he pounces. Yamamoto Takeshi, no longer just eyeing, attacks him in retribution for his downed friend (without ever stopping to think that he might be in the wrong for attacking Kyouya's subordinates; so much for being the 'nice' guy), and though he lasts a little longer than the fanboy, the baseball player is quickly taken care of as well.

Mere moments later, Sawada wakes from his nap only to find _his_ companions slumped on the floor, and Hibari Kyouya glaring at him, weapons in hand. Naturally, the boy shrieks and scuttles back off of the couch. Kyouya, knowing he would find no satisfaction or amusement in beating the wimpy boy, instead grabs his comrades by their collars and takes them to the window. They were most likely the ones who broke most of the rules, and for this level of offense, Kyouya figures a few broken bones from a fall at this height would be an appropriate punishment.

"W-wait! What are you doing?!" Sawada addresses him, and Hibari, feeling particularly vindictive, actually answers.

"As a Disciplinary Committee member, I cannot overlook this. Yamamoto Takeshi and Gokudera Hayato broke the rules, so I must punish them."

The matter of fact reply does nothing to assuage the boy's hysteria. "You can't do that! We're on the _third floor!_ "

"I can and will unless you're going to stop me." Kyouya isn't usually one to taunt, but he finds he can engage Sawada if the boy attacks first.

Eyes widening and body trembling at just the thought, he practically shouts, "I can't do that!"

Shrugging, Hibari returns to his task, and Sawada protests again. This time, however, an even higher pitched voice breaks through the ruckus, and Kyouya's gaze slides over to the baby who is no longer sipping coffee and is instead wielding that strange, green gun again. "Save your friends, Tsuna."

"Wha—" is cut off as a _bullet_ hits Sawada in the face, and his body hits the ground with a 'thud.' Eyebrows raised, Kyouya glances at the smirking baby before going back to Sawada once more as the boy growls. "Reborn! I'll save Yamamoto and Gokudera-kun with my dying will!" He then jumps to his feet as his clothes are torn to pieces, and a flame rests upon the hair just above the boy's forehead.

Only thrown for but a moment (he used to be a shinobi, after all), he easily evades the poorly executed yet powerful punch, and as a result, he lets go of the prone forms of Yamamoto and Gokudera. As they slide out of the window, Sawada shouts that he'll save them again and reaches out to catch them. Before Kyouya can challenge the baby to a fight (the only thing he'd been looking forward to in this whole ordeal), the toddler's gun turns into a parachute after he jumps onto Sawada's back, and they float lazily off toward the pool.

Moments later, Kusakabe opens the door and glances around dubiously. "...Do I want to know?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The Idiot is Naruto, but I'm certain you already guessed as much.  
> *This is already explained, but that italicized quote at the beginning was said by Kakashi in canon.  
> *The good men/evil thriving quote is by Edmund Burke.


	4. informazioni

**I.**

"Name: Unknown. Alias: Reborn. Also known as the 'World's Greatest Hitman'; whether or not this title is true has yet to be proven. Age: Unknown. His appearance, however, suggests two years or so. His main weapon seems to be the green gun you described. He has no known partners, excepting the occasional job with 'Poison Scorpion' Bianchi, another hitman. His main affiliation is with the Vongola, a big name in the mafia world."

Kusakabe clears his voice before continuing hesitantly, closing the innocuous manilla folder he'd been reading from. "That's all the information I could find, Hibari-sama. It appears that our sources knew more, but the threat of this 'Reborn' character finding out kept them from divulging anything else."

"Hn." Really, his boss could be so frustrating at times.

Replacing the aforementioned folder in his clothes, the quite masculine-faced teenager calmly rebuffs the idea he knows is forming in his boss's mind. "No offense, Hibari-sama, but I doubt that even an ultimatum from you would loosen their tongues."

Noticing the corners of the younger boy's lips quirking down ever so slightly, dissatisfaction practically pouring off of him, Kusakabe attempts to quickly abate the oncoming irritation. "If anything, their adamant refusal lends _some_ credence to the rumors. Either they're being paid off, or this hitman is much more dangerous than either of us anticipated. The former is so unlikely as to be silly; I can't think of any reason for anyone to pay off our intel."

Hibari-sama nods his head in understanding, and the DC's Second would have breathed a sigh of relief if it weren't for the gleam of excitement he'd caught in obsidian eyes. Uncertain as to whether or not he should speak up, he stands in front of the pristine desk awkwardly until his boss quirks an eyebrow at him in askance. Mentally shrugging, Kusakabe warns, "...I'm not doubting your abilities, Hibari-sama, but you should be careful. Small time yakuza are one thing, but the mafia is completely different."

His plain brown gaze holds charcoal ones steadily, knowing he's probably overstepping some boundary but needing to get his point across. Their silent communication ( _"Don't mess with this guy." "I can take care of myself."_ ) is broken by the door to the Disclipinary Committee Headquarters (or, rather, the nicest office in the school) slamming into the wall (hard enough to leave an indent, surely.) A familiar head of startlingly white hair comes into view once the dust (that somehow appeared despite their members cleaning this room immaculately for their leader) clears, and Kusakabe feels irritation and amusement in equal parts.

"OI! Kyouya! I'VE GOT EXTREME NEWS!" The boy's grating voice echoes around the room (or perhaps Kusakabe's ears are just reeling), and he pumps his first in the air to accentuate his ever-present elation. One quick glance at his boss reveals _his_ usual annoyance, and Tetsuya knows that this won't end well.

Stepping forward to prevent the boxer from angering the seething teenager behind him even further, Kusakabe greets him wearily. "Sasagawa-san."

"Oh! Not-Hibari!" He replies, surprised, perhaps not having seen him when he made his grand entrance. Kusakabe refrains from rubbing his now aching temples both at the volume and the... nickname. "I extremely didn't see you there!"

"Er... My name is Kusakabe Tetsuya, Sasagawa-san," he clarifies tiredly. The lack of any change in expression has Kusakabe deeming this venture a lost cause, so he merely changes the subject to the matter at hand. "Never mind. You said you have business with the Disciplinary Committee?"

The blank look he'd adopted at Kusakabe's clarification is abruptly morphed into one of excitement (i.e. his normal countenance.) as he affirms, "Yeah! I met an extremely passionate kid today! We're going to have a match after school! I extremely can't believe I missed him before!"

Only partially interested in the 'extreme news', Tetsuya politely inquires, "So he's a new kid? A freshman, perhaps?"

"Extremely not! He's one of Kyoko's classmates. That's why I can't believe I didn't realize it before!" he asserts vehemently, eyes burning. "He's kind of weak-looking, and he screams a lot. But this morning, he extremely raced to school in his boxers, and I could almost see a passionate fire burning on his forehead!"

That last detail strikes a cord, and Tetsuya's waning attention snaps back fully. He shares a glance with Hibari-sama ( _"Sounds like Sawada."_ ) before he regards Sasagawa. Heedless of the boy's seemingly endless string of words, Kusakabe interrupts with, "Could you be talking about Sawada Tsunayoshi of Class 1A?"

Arms now crossed, Ryohei adopts a thinking pose, eyes closed and a hand stroking his chin. He then slams his fist into an open palm and exclaims, "That was his name to the extreme! And my sister is in that class." His eyes pop open comically as he rounds on Kusakabe suddenly. "You know him?"

"I know of him," he confirms. "Sasagawa-san, was there a baby in a suit and fedora around somewhere when you met Sawada?"

"There extremely weren't any babies, Not-Hibari!" The white-haired teen denies, his confusion evident. Apparently dismissing the odd question and tiring of the interrogation, he leans slightly past the older boy and addresses Hibari, "Kyouya! You're not sleeping over there, are you? That's extremely not cool!"

"It's no business of yours, herbivore," his boss retorts, quite calmly considering their current unsolicited visitor. He then inclines his head toward Tetsuya. "Kusakabe, you know what to do." Indeed he does. (Interrogate witnesses. Acquire information on Sawada's 'flame'. The usual.) He nods in acquiesence and then bids his farewells to the both of them. Upon exiting the room (which is surely to be trashed by the time he returns; he makes a mental note to give the guys a heads up), he catches the end of their conversation.

"I'll bite you to death." Hibari-sama's infamous catchphrase.

"Shouldn't you be 'biting' your lunch?" And Sasagawa's contrived bewilderment.

Rolling the toothpick around in his mouth as he ambles away from the tiger's den, Kusakabe admits to himself (with a smirk) that Sasagawa just might be good for his boss.

A loud thud echoes ominously from behind him, and the Second-in-Command wearily adds that their 'friendship' might not be so good for the school, though.

_(As yet another fight breaks out courtesy of the Disciplinary Committee, the principal of Namichuu quivers in his stuffed chair and thinks longingly of the days before Hibari Kyouya's reign of terror.)_

**II.**

Meditation had been a staple of both childhoods, the general idea being that finding peace within oneself at any given moment is a great asset. Of course, there's also the added lesson about discipline and, most importantly, seeking out one's chakra; sitting as he is now for hours on end is not a difficult task at all. He'd discovered very early on that the second set of veins he'd been born with and gradually developed as Uchiha Sasuke did not exist in this world. Such a concept is equally as foreign a notion as not having blood constantly running throughout his body, but he had grown grudgingly accustomed to the idea. But now...

He did not imagine the flame atop Sawada's forehead. Despite the lack of his Sharingan, his eyesight is sharp, perhaps a remnant carried over from his previous life, and his obsidian gaze could not mistake his (former) attribute. Even if he _did_ have doubts, Sasagawa's eager tale easily disproved them. For all of the boy's boisterousness and mindless chatter, Hibari knows him to be quite observant. How else would he be able to find Kyouya no matter where he is at any given time?

The flame is real. The flame is _real_ , and it rested upon Sawada's head without faltering or burning him. There was no smell to indicate its presence, no crackle associated with fire; and it left no trace behind when it inevitably died down. If he takes into account the circumstances surrounding it, the flame was only present when Sawada was particularly aggressive or active. A boost in strength, perhaps?

And then, there's the gun. The flame appeared when the baby shot Sawada with his green gun. The baby was there both times Hibari witnessed the phenomenon; he wasn't, however, present during Ryohei's tale. Could it be that Reborn shot the boy before he met up with Sasagawa? Yes, it is entirely possible. Ryohei did say that he first saw Sawada as he was running to school.

So a baby hitman associated with the mafia who wields a green gun loaded with bullets that increase one's strength and stamina shows up inexplicably one day, and his connection with Sawada is...? Furrowing his brows, he curses this lack of information. Misinformation had been the bane of his last life, and now, it seems, such a dilemma has crept into his path once again.

Forcing himself to focus, Kyouya continues musing. His twelve years of living as Hibari Kyouya have not been spent idly; he has, in fact, been researching quite a bit. Other than broad topics like goverment, he has delved into this world's version of ninja. If he were expecting them to be _any_ thing like his last life, he was sorely disappointed.

These 'ninja' were no better than civilians, and they no longer exist due to such a profession being highly impractical and, quite frankly, useless against the strength of the modern military. Words like 'chakra' or 'jutsu' were never mentioned in even the old, dusty scrolls he'd managed to collect, and Kyouya had been forced to conclude that further digging would be pointless.

Perhaps, though, he'd been looking into the wrong history.

_Mafia — an organized international body of criminals, operating originally in Sicily and now esp. in Italy; known for complex and ruthless behavioral code._

Shinobi, despite being the designated 'peace-keepers', were well-known for their unpleasant and questionable practices (among other shinobi, that is), and this 'mafia' seems to have developed much of their same principles. They could have, theoretically, developed their own 'weapons', as well. That strange green gun is proof enough of that.

And that flame...

Easily clearing his mind and focusing at the center of his being, Hibari searches, and wonders, and waits. He _will_ regain his former strength; he _will_.

...

...

_There. A flicker._

Internally, Hibari Kyouya is completely at peace for the first time in a very long time; externally, a self-satisfied, utterly pleased smile makes its way onto his face, and Kusakabe Tetsuya quickly (but quitely) shuts the screen door on the most terrifying scene he's ever witnessed in his young life.

**III.**

"Reborn-san," he addresses his former tutor, both wary _and_ eager to please as always. He props himself against the window ledge and surreptitiously glances at the dubious figure in the bushes he'd noticed before entering the Sawada household. Bringing his gaze back to Reborn, he inquires, "Did you see...?"

"Of course, Pipsqueak Dino," Reborn retorts, emphasizing the obvious with a kick to Dino's head before jumping back to and sitting down on the Vongola candidate's desk. "One of them is always watching this house."

At this, Dino stops rubbing the newly made sore spot on his head and levels Reborn with a serious look. "I wasn't aware anyone else knew of his position."

"They don't." With that, the hitman pulls out a file seemingly from nowhere and tosses it at the Chiavarone Boss, who fumbles a little in catching it under Reborn's ever assessing gaze. Without fanfare, he opens the file and immediately finds a fierce, scary-looking teenager glaring up at him. "Hibari Kyouya, huh?" He glances up at Reborn before reading on.

_Name: Hibari Kyouya_   
_Age: 15_   
_Gender: Male_   
_Occupation: Student, Committee Head_   
_Affiliations: Namimori Middle Disciplinary Committee_   
_D.O.B.: 5/5/'95_   
_Height: 169 cm_   
_Weight: 58 kg_   
_Weapon(s): Metal Tonfa, Possibly others_

"Tonfa?" He mutters to himself in disbelief. He skims through the rest of the information before closing the file and turning a questioning gaze on the baby. "Is he a danger? The family name seems familiar, but I don't think it's mafia-related."

Sipping from a cup that he'd somehow obtained during Dino's short read (but the blond has long since stopped questioning the impossible when it comes to Reborn), the baby hitman reveals, "I don't know yet. He has a history of violence, mostly geared towards those he deems 'breaking the rules', and he generally spends most of his time 'biting people to death.' Sawada Tsunayoshi is no exception." Smirking behind his cuppa at what he's about to drop on his unsuspecting student, Reborn continues, "He's the prime candidate for a guardian."

"What?" slips out of the mafia boss's mouth in surprise, and it is hastily followed by, "You can't be serious! This kid creeps even _me_ out, and it doesn't look like he'd protect _any_ one."

"Exactly." Sadistic amusement flickers in beady eyes, and Dino almost rips his hair out in frustration. Reborn really is a sadistic bast-

Suddenly, Leon in gunform is being directed at his face, and Dino wisely stops his train of thought. "Are you doubting me, Pipsqueak Dino? I really did let you off too easily."

"Ehehe, Reborn-san, I, uh, didn't mean-"

"Wah! What's with all these suspicious looking guys?!"

"I'll take care of 'em for you, Tenth!"

"Ahahahaha!"

They both turn to see three middle schoolers taking on Dino's men, and Leon changes back into a chameleon at Reborn's silent command. The Chiavarone boss hurriedly exits the room and, soon, the house (but not before tripping a few times) as Reborn watches the spectacle from the window, smirking all the while.

**IV.**

As his mind's eye observes the peculiar warmth at the center of his being, Kyouya only takes a moment to deduce that, despite the overwhelming differences between this curious energy at his core and _chakra_ , this flame is quite similiarly susceptible to his will. He had willed it into visibility, had he not? Again, however, the likeness ends there.

Whereas chakra was constantly buzzing across his skin and augmenting his biological processes, this flame seemingly remains dormant until he commands otherwise, and he'd had no prior knowledge of its existence. There were no outward signs of any innate power at all. Also unlike chakra, it seems that civilians aren't even aware of an incomprehensible energy dwelling idly within them (or within _any_ one, for that matter.)

Such a trivial detail—or lack of details, in this case—could, in all likely hood, explain the previously inexplicable peace (no matter its falsehood) in this world. It _all_ comes back to equivocation—fallacies, doesn't it?

The momentary anger (revulsion?) sparks something, and the small, flickering flame abruptly expands into a sizeable, roaring, purple fire. An unusual but not unfamiliar sensation swirls tauntingly in his midsection before _dancing_ throughout his _cells_ (not a second set of veins, he absently notes.) An image of The Idiot comes to him, unbidden, and it's shortly followed by ten, twenty, hundreds, _thousands_ , and, and-

And suddenly, he understands.

_Cloning._ His newly discovered power revolves around propagation.

How utterly ironic this life is turning out to be. Hibari almost ( _almost_ ) wants to throw his head back and laugh. He manages to reign in the impulse (as has become second nature) and instead focuses on the new-found possibilities. Could he possibly replicate the Shadow Clone Jutsu? As made apparent by the influx of memories, he's seen The Idiot perform the technique countless times. Redirecting the flame to his hands and forming handseals could conceivably be done. The main question involves whether or not sheer willpower and his flame's affinity (as he is now calling it) will be enough to 'power' the jutsu.

With no answer forthcoming and hours of training in his future regardless, Kyouya merely pushes aside the 'what if's and centers his thoughts on what _will_ be. The Idiot managed to create his own arsenal of techniques; there's no way he can take that challenge lying down.

First, though, he has to master manipulation of the flame. The contrast between the two energies only becomes more apparent as his training progresses. Chakra is an extention of oneself, and, as Uchiha Sasuke, he had, in fact, been subconsciously using chakra even as a child. When he'd been taught how to find it, he'd needed only to distinguish between the 'buzzing veins' and the 'non-buzzing veins'. This was, by no means, an _easy_ feat, however. Sasuke was the top of his class, but he wasn't exactly considered a prodigy. He graduated at age twelve, after all.

Manipulating chakra was much more difficult, and he never really refined his control over it. The process was, more of less, similar to that of a water faucet. He simply poured his chakra into the jutsu and adjusted the amount after each failed attempt. He'd never seen a need to perfect it.

The flame is strikingly alike yet also unsettlingly different. Rather than acting as an extension of his body, the fiery energy merely feeds off of his resolve and dies out when he loses that resolve. Whether or not the 'energy' supply is endless or has a limit or even places strain on the body remains to be seen. 'Grabbing' onto a blazing fire is normally a bad idea, and Kyouya does fleetingly entertain the risk of burns. That Uchiha stubborness shines through, however, and he blindly reaches into the purple abyss.

And nothing happens.

The same curious warmth wraps around his mental appendage as it has the rest of his body, and Kyouya is momentarily flummoxed. Then, he grits his teeth and plunges in again. And again. And again. And again.

It doesn't occur to him until he lay sweat-soaked and panting hours later on the pristine floor that, perhaps, force isn't the answer here.

The wildly dangerous flames are not tamed, after all. They're _coaxed_.

_(When Kusakabe walks into the room to find his boss casually strolling around the_ ceiling _of his private dojo, he merely nods a greeting, closes the door softly, and continues on his merry way. Incidentally, the strange meeting is never spoken of again, and if Tetsuya ever finds Hibari-sama ambling along the corridors horizontally or vertically, well, it's just another event to describe in his man-diary._

_One would have to be accepting of and tight-lipped about unusual occurances when living with and serving under Hibari Kyouya, after all.)_

**V.**

It's as he is making his way toward the roof after his rounds that he's accosted by the eager monstrocity.

"Oh, hey, Kyouya!" The boy greets from the other end of the hall, waving wildly in a futile attempt to gain Hibari's attention.

"Hmph." Ignoring the loud teen, he climbs the small flight of stairs leading to the roof, inwardly hoping (also futily) that Sasagawa will finally realize that he is obviously unwanted company.

The irritated shout of "Don't extremely ignore me!" from behind him dashes his hopes, and it is with partial exasperation and resignation that he enters Namichuu's roof area with his Not Friend Sasagawa Ryohei chattering noisily beside him only to come into contact with yet another group of teenagers he has no desire whatsoever to interact with. Sawada Tsunayoshi and his sidekicks stare at him in surprise before the fear (Sawada), 'righteous anger' (Sak-Gokudera), and bemusement (Yamamoto) take over.

Before the male Haruno can spit some scathing insult at him, Sasagawa cheerfully addresses the underclassmen. "Yo, Sawada! Are you extremely eating lunch on the roof, too? Kyouya and I are gonna do that." He breaks out into his usual rasping laughter, and Kyouya barely resists the urge to slam his tonfa somewhere unpleasant.

"Hiieee! Y-you're friends, O-onii-san?!" Sawada interjects incredulously, glancing rapidly between Hibari and Ryohei. Kyouya turns his scalding gaze on the brunette, and the kid shrieks again before visibly shrinking away from him and behind Gokudera.

Hibari's negative reaction does nothing to dissuade the boxer's delusions, unfortunately. "Of course! Kyouya's my best friend to the extreme!" The obnoxious laughter continues unabated, and Ryohei does not notice the Discliplinary Head's demonic aura until it's too late. (Un)fortunately, the freshmen trio are not exempt from his rampage, and they barely escape with their dignity intact. (Ryohei is not so lucky.)

_(Consequently, no one noticed the thoroughly (pleasantly?) surprised expression occupy the violent upperclassmen's face for but a moment at Sasagawa's effortless declaration of friendship, either._

_Perhaps it's for the best, though. Had anyone witnessed such an emotion on an already frightening visage, they surely would have fainted in pure terror.)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Hibari had an info network, and I figure Sasuke would understand the merits of one.  
> *The info on both Kyouya and Reborn come from Reborn Wikia. (though, I did add stuff)  
> *Mafia definition is from Google; ninja info made up  
> *Don't actually know if Reborn was present when Ryohei met Tsuna  
> *Description of chakra entirely made up (and inspired by fanon) as is Dying Will Flame stuff


	5. battaglia

**I.**

If Mukuro were honest (whether it is with himself or others), he'd admit that his hatred and bitterness, his penchant for cruelty and blood-lust—Well, that had quite literally been festering inside him since birth.

The _ruthless_ and _unrepentant_ experimentation upon himself _for years_ had played no small part in forming him as he is now, but there are inexplicable moments in his childhood, brief stretches of time wherein Mukuro's malnourished form seemed to hold much more than his own consciousness. So much so, in fact, that it had been a difficult, tiresome struggle for young Mukuro to emerge from that giant mass of personality and become _himself_. Consequently, commanding leadership of an adolescent Ken and Chikusa (and later on, the rest of his minions) had been as natural as breathing.

Nevertheless, though he dredges up memories of his time in that hellhole occasionally in order to fuel the ever-burning fire of pure hatred, there is one in particular he need not expend any effort to recall. Despite the overwhelming presence of _Them_ from time to time, despite his desperation to escape, he'd been... expectant. Yearning. _Waiting._ For what, he'd never been certain... until the scientists eventually performed their most successful and, ultimately, _last_ experiment upon him and granted him access to the Six Paths of Reincarnation via his sight.

When he'd awakened hours later alone in his dark cell, and powers unknown (but oh so familiar) had swirled behind his bandaged eye, his only thought had been—

_Finally._

**II.**

He is out for his EXTREMELY early morning run when he's suddenly confronted by two other middle schoolers, though he doesn't recognize the uniform. (He'd forget his _own_ school's uniform if his darling sister didn't set them out for him every morning; sweatpants and a muscle-shirt are EXTREMELY more appealing to him than pants and a sweater!)

"What do you guys want to the extreme? I'm EXTREMELY behind in my running!" he demands of the two, jogging in place to keep his blood pumping. The blond one (Ryohei mentally dubs him 'Blondie') and the one with glasses (now nicknamed 'Glasses') share a Look, and Ryohei's brows furrow in confusion and impatience. "What is it to the extreme?!"

Blondie pulls out teeth ("EH?"), while Glasses whips out yo-yos, and the boxer's bewilderment flies to new heights. Finally, Blondie spits out, grinning wolfishly, "We're gonna take you down, byon."

_Now_ the situation makes sense. Comprehension dawns rather visibly on the male Sasagawa's face as the confusion is replaced with an excited (EXTREME) smirk. He moves into the standard boxing position as the others ready themselves. "Why didn't you say extremely something before?! I'm always up for a fight to the extreme!"

The winners of the 'battle' become very obvious mere minutes into the fighting, and it is not long before Ryohei succumbs to unconsciousness, bruised and battered on the cold, hard ground. His last thoughts are fleeting and full of shame, regret, and the saddened face of his little sibling at his broken promise.

He wakes to blinding white light and belatedly realizes he is in the hospital as he attempts to sit up, the movement feeling decidedly _not_ extreme. A strong hand on his chest forces him to lie back down with a murmur of something like "...rest, idiot...", and he only catches a glimpse of a recognizable armband before falling asleep once more.

The second time he comes to, he is met with the concerned faces of Sawada and his friends (and a baby?) Revealing his defeat and identifying those who bested him stirs no small amount of humiliation inside him, but Sasagawa Ryohei is nothing if not a hard worker (and an EXTREME one, at that.)

This loss has only cemented his belief to become EXTREMELY stronger, and he fully intends to do so (if only the nurses would let him leave. He's EXTREMELY okay; _he_ would know!)

**III.**

His calm, confident stride as he enters the (for all appearances) abandoned facility never wavers even as he leaves trails of bodies (beaten into unconsciousness) in his wake. A quiet fury seems to radiate from him as he steps into the darkened room, and his gaze is positively frigid as it lands on the boy seated before him, the one allegedly responsible for the attacks on the (— _his_ —) people of Namimori. The smug smirk donning the teen's face as Kyouya slowly steps closer merely confirms Kusakabe's intel.

He comes to a stop several feet from the maliciously grinning male, and said boy takes that as his cue to begin speaking. "Hello," a silky voice Hibari instantly despises (and would have even without his overwhelming bias) greets him. "Thanks for coming."

"Hn." Kyouya ignores the obvious provocation, choosing to instead begin channeling his flames into the soles of his feet. He'd never been one for incessantly chatting with his opponents (like the Idiot) unless he'd needed to garner information. There is _nothing_ he wants to hear from this boy other than his _screams_ of _pain._ Hibari ditched his compassion and mercy a lifetime ago, and such useless notions show no signs of returning despite his new youth.

The student waits only a beat (perhaps for Hibari to elaborate) before he declares, rather obnoxiously, "I'm the new order in your town."

His cajoling of the violet blaze continues unheeded, and he remains silent. The other boy's smile twitches into a frown momentarily, but his villainous speech is, apparently, not to be denied. "...so you are unnecessary." He tacks on decisively, as if the brief silence had been intended. Kyouya distantly notes the male seems to have a flair for dramatics as he regulates the flow of power.

_There._ He shifts into action wordlessly, and his opponent only just catches Kyouya's tonfa with a three-pronged weapon he recognizes to be a trident. Surprise is evident on the boy's face; Hibari relishes this, bringing his other tonfa in for a strike, face stretched into his own version of malevolent glee. The male quickly maneuvers his metal into position to block this as well, but it hardly matters. He easily abandons the tangled weapon, and with a flick of the wrist, replaces it with a kunai.

He aims for the jugular, but the boy, seeing this, jerks his torso to the left; he misses his mark, instead only leaving a scratch running along the boy's cheek. A kick to _his_ midsection sends him flying away, and in the few seconds he takes to regain his bearings, the other boy's left eye has taken on an ominous glow, eerily reminiscent of the Sharingan for but a moment.

Hibari easily discounts this theory, however, as several differences are immediately noticeable. For one, the Sharingan didn't _glow_ ; it only changed to a dark red, which is another point, really. This _child_ 's imitation is magenta in color. And lastly, upon close inspection, it contains no tomoe, only the kanji for the number 'one'. Even more _enraged_ (and uncertain as to whether his disappointment is acceptable; the appearance of the dojutsu would open many possibilities for _him,_ but on the other hand, it's not like he'd want his Clan's precious heritage to be in the hands of _this_ person), he opens his mouth to demand answers from this **imposter** —

But he is rudely interrupted.

"I'd allow you to get a few words in, _Hibari Kyouya_ , as this will undoubtedly be the last time you speak," Despite the venomous undertone, the boy before him is sporting a grin on par with Sasagawa's on a good ( _EXTREME_ ) day, though tinges of madness are evident. He continues, chuckling in a distinctly annoying way, "Kufufu... However, you've just angered me, so... Let's get the show started, shall we?" The air shimmers visibly as his opponent disappears, and a very, _very_ familiar figure takes his place.

"Kufufufu... What a life you've led, Hibari Kyouya..." The voice echoes inside his head and (seemingly) from all directions, but all sounds are being slowly drowned out by a buzzing noise. "Even I, a frequent inhabitant of Hell..." The silky tenor of Rokudo Mukuro is suddenly, abruptly replaced by a soft, quiet tone that sends chills down his spine. "...have not murdered my own brother."

_"Itachi?!"_

_~I'm a line break. Whoo whoo~  
_

Those 'illusions' were _nothing_ like Genjutsu.

He supposes he should have known better, considering all that he'd discovered about his own innate power in this world, but overconfidence had been, and most likely always would be, one of his foremost traits. He hadn't _honestly_ believed he was the only one capable of controlling the flames, but he also hadn't seriously considered that anyone his age had discovered it as well. It just goes to show that, despite what he'd like to think, he is _not_ 'all-knowing', and _Sasuke_ should have learned as much by now, never mind Kyouya.

He raises his gaze from his lap to the decrepit ceiling, head now tilted back against the wall, and idly wonders how much the self-proclaimed illusionist knows about him. The boy hadn't mentioned anything other than _that_ fight, and Kyouya comes to the conclusion that he had only pulled up what _Hibari_ considers to be his weakness, and after he'd found _that_ , he hadn't prodded any further. The male had only had a fleeting moment to dig through Kyouya's head, after all, so his 'secret' is probably safe.

Not that he cares. It would be interesting if his musings on possible reincarnations prove true, and his former genin teammates discover their new identities. The momentary flare of amusement is quickly stomped out by his own brooding. He entertains the thought of 'escape', but the baby had informed him that backup would be arriving at some point. If nothing else, the hitman(-baby) has always kept his word to Kyouya.

Regardless, his flames are oh-so-slowly mending his wounds. He's not technically _healing_ because Sasuke had never been interested in learning such a skill and, therefore, knows of no way to do so. He is simply encouraging his body to work faster, which he knows will be detrimental in the long run, but he has never much cared for ensuring his future beyond his immediate goals, anyway.

He dozes and wakes in odd intervals for an indeterminable amount of time (though it must have been a few hours because he'd arrived at early morning, and the window reveals it to be late afternoon) until an explosion (followed by several more that seem to be getting closer) startles him into full wakefulness.

It seems the reinforcements have arrived.

**IV.**

Gokudera Hayato has never been uncertain about his ability to protect the Tenth as his Right Hand Man (his matches with the stupid, Baseball Idiot don't count! He's not insecure!), nor does it ever cross his mind that he would lose rather pathetically to a _cronie_ in his first real fight to prove himself to be worthy.

None of that changes the fact that his dynamite are being continuously knocked away by that Glasses bastard's yo-yos (Who uses a yo-yo as a weapon anyway, damn it!), and he's quickly running out of competent battle strategies. At this point, it's become a game of Toss-the-Dynamite-and-Run, and it's _**pissing him off.**_ And he's also a little worried, but he's mostly just angry, both at himself and his fucktard of an opponent.

He finally manages to catch the guy in an explosion when suddenly there's ( **OHGODTHEPAIN** ) pain blossoming from his chest; he staggers backwards toward the window, and then a clawed hand breaks _(Fuck! When-)_ through the glass and plunges into that same spot ( ** _BREATHEOHGODCAN'TBREATHE_** ). He belatedly realizes that it's the beast-guy (How stupid of him to forget!) from before as he hurriedly moves away from him, clutching desperately at his chest as he does so.

Unfortunately, because of his current situation (and the fact that there was a curtain concealing it), Hayato doesn't notice the flight of stairs until his foot steps back and meets only open air. He reaches the bottom of the stairs in no time, dragging the moth-eaten curtain with him. He simply lay there, hand over his wound, breathing heavily and silently seething at the beast-guy's snide remarks when he hears a curious chirping sound (mind instantly going to that bird-creep) before the wall behind him is utterly demolished.

When the dust (that had flown up from the crumbling of the structure) clears, it is none other than Hibari Kyouya standing on the other side, hand stretched out as if he had simply knocked, and the wall had kindly fallen down around him. Shocked into silence, Gokudera can only gape as the older boy's gaze sweeps over him and then onto the other two, apparently taking in the scene.

"Aren't reinforcements meant to be helpful?" The mutter breaks Hayato out of his stupor, and he scowls, forcing himself up from the ground. The DC head begins walking, suggesting idly as he passes by, "You might as well stay down; you're useless right now." The remark instantly fuels his anger, but he bites he tongue as he realizes, rather shamefacedly, that Hibari isn't _wrong.  
_

He settles for watching the boy collect his pair of tonfa from the rummage, blatantly ignoring the beast-guy's taunts, which, in turn, causes the beast-guy to pull out his teeth and turn into some human-lion freak. ('Lion Channel!', he called it.)

"I have no time for you." Gokudera manages to catch Hibari smirk, and, then, suddenly, the spot he'd been standing in is empty, and—

And now beast-guy and the yo-yo bastard are slumped on the floor (presumably) just unconscious. What? What the hell had just happened? _Hayato had blinked, and the battle had been over._ His silver gaze travels from the bodies to the older boy now wiping the grime on his tonfa on the shirt of the yo-yo bastard. Just how strong _is_ this guy...? The thought is quickly extinguished by the remembrance of the strongest guy ever, the Tenth, who is fighting at this moment, and Gokudera is not there.

He's not there, and he needs to be.

He struggles to his feet, his body protesting every movement, and attempts to make it up the stairs.

"I already told you; you're _useless_ as you are now." The comment startles him slightly, but he does not pause in his endeavor.

More than a little irritated at the effortless strength displayed by the other boy (and angry that he'd needed this guy's _aid_ ), he snaps back, "I wouldn't be a good Right-Hand Man if I didn't even _try_ to help the Tenth." He hears a quiet sigh, followed by a slight rustle, and then nothing.

**V.**

He is enjoying his EXTREMELY late afternoon nap when some sort of commotion interrupts his EXTREME dream (about boxing, of course!), and he immediately finds the source. There is a new bed next to his; the equipment being moved must have made all the noise. Now EXTREMELY awake and curious, he crawls out of his sheets, carefully avoiding the million little wires between the two beds (What are they extremely for, anyway?), and creeps his way toward the mystery patient.

Throwing caution to the wind now that he's extremely safe, he yanks open the curtain and is extremely surprised to find that the newcomer is his best friend, Kyouya. A scan of him from head to toe reveals the kid to be just as bandaged as Ryohei (if not more so), and he briefly wonders if he should let his friend rest ('cause he looks like he EXTREMELY needs it.) The idea is just as quickly tossed, so he demands, "OI! KYOUYA! WAKE UP!"

The effect is instant. Obsidian eyes fly open (in panic?) and dart around, one hand reaching under the pillow, until they rest upon Ryohei, and the boy relaxes slightly. Ryohei decides, right then and there, that Kyouya is EXTREMELY strange! But he is an accepting fellow, so he asks, "Kyouya! What happened to the extreme?!" It's quite disconcerting that the strongest (and most EXTREME) person Ryohei knows has been reduced to such a state. A thought then dawns on him. "Was it the same peop-ehloohveetmeeh?"

Halfway through his question, a hand shot out to cover his mouth, the owner of said appendage similarly shooting him a venomous glare (which works about as well as it always has.) "Don't be absurd." Before Ryohei can voice another muffled inquiry, Kyouya answers, "I simply tracked down the perpetrator disturbing the peace of Namimori; he attacked the Disciplinary Committee, so it was only right that I, as its leader—"

Anything _Kyouya_ had been about to say was cut off by Ryohei suddenly enacting an EXTREMELY, manly embrace. "How EXTREME of you, Kyouya!" He announces as he pulls away, _beaming_ at him. "Kyoko will EXTREMELY want to make you lunch! I'll EXTREMELY call her!"

As he begins reaching for the phone, the same hand grabs his arm in a steel grip. "Don't."

"Eh?" Laughing as he realizes the issue, Ryohei assures, "No need to be shy, Kyouya! Kyoko is EXTREMELY nice, just like her older brother!"

The hand not clamped around his arm abruptly smacks into Kyouya's forehead, and the boxer tilts his head to the side in confusion. Concerned, he pulls his arm away from the phone and, instead, puts it on the boy's shoulder, suggesting, "Why don't you lie down, Kyouya? You seem extremely out of it."

Unbeknownst to Sasagawa Ryohei, Hibari Kyouya is not, in fact, 'out of it'. He is merely musing on how he'd never wished so fervently for Kusakabe's presence before. His Second in Command has such wonderful common sense.


	6. risolutezza

**I.**

He breathes in, slowly, exhales. He runs his hand over the smooth leather, all the way down to the intricately designed hilt where it lingers. His face is impassive and his eyes, hard, as he contemplates this new development. His gaze darts to the sliding doors where The Baby had been standing as he'd propositioned Hibari, and his mind wanders back to what he'd explained.

The Baby had left quite a lot out of his convoluted explanation, and a lesser man might have taken the hitman at his word. Hibari knows better, can spot the omissions and manipulations for what they are just as easily as if they'd been written on the man-child's cherub cheeks. He _should_ know by now, shouldn't he? He suppresses the urge to sneer and, instead, removes the chokuto from its sheathe.

 _"Assassins are coming to Namimori._ _They're an elite squad affiliated with the Mafia."_

And Sawada Tsunayoshi is their target.

_"Sharp, as always. Namimori itself is in danger, as well."_

Not if Sawada is taken care of first.

_"Heh. You can try."_

...

_"They'll be here soon. I don't expect you to join Tsuna's Famiglia or to fight for him."_

Yet you still expect me to fight.

 _"None of them are stronger than me, but they_ are _deadly assassins."_

His past experiences have been made **useless** in this world where wars are fought and men die, but life goes on peacefully, anyway. He's made the most of this mundane existence by claiming Namimori and cleaning up its filth. However, even though he fights _every_ day, he's (once again) at a _standstill_ , stuck at this level without any noticeable increase in strength or power. His loss against that melodramatic impersonator proves as much. It's the problem he was faced with as a genin. Sawada Tsunayoshi and The Idiot were both able to transform from pathetic Herbivores to capable fighters with enviable ease, despite everything stacked against them. _ **  
**_

That's fine. He can manage. It's _different_ this time. No one's holding him back but himself. He'd been forcing himself to stay at this level because he'd subconsciously assumed he'd had to. The Herbivores he'd met so far had been laughably weak, so Hibari hadn't needed to get stronger. Figuring out this chakra-like power had been a goal, but it hadn't been a priority.

He examines the steel in the artificial lighting; his resolute reflection stares back at him. He'd scoffed at the idea of using a blade before, but now, he realizes how much his fighting capacity had been affected. Sasuke is a swordsman, and Hibari uses tonfa, but the two have combined, are working together, now. It is Hibari's body and Sasuke's muscle memory, but they are one and the same.

He lays the sheathe aside and stands. He takes a deep breath, shifts into a familiar position, and begins his dance.

**II.**

_It's the lesser of two evils_ , Dino tells himself as he follows Kusakabe through the school halls and up the stairway to the roof, feeling very much like it's a death march, what with the boy's grim expression and the oppressive silence. _Reborn is_ way _scarier than a little boy_ , he reasons, sensibly, but the ball of nerves in his stomach isn't quelled so easily. Then again, _Reborn_ is a _baby_...

He shakes his head to clear these (rather unhelpful) thoughts when they reach the door, which Kusakabe holds open for him, and they come upon his soon-to-be-student leaning against the railing of the school roof, seemingly in deep thought and unaware of his surroundings.

Kusakabe quickly moves over to the boy and, presumably, explains Dino's presence. The young Chiavarone suddenly feels a hand on his shoulder, and he shares a glance with Romario, who merely smiles encouragingly at him. Dino manages a faint one in return, somewhat soothed until Kusakabe passes by him with a nod, muttering about "cleaning up the bodies" and "bloodstains" under his breath.

He gapes at the teen's retreating back even after the door closes and then forcibly reminds himself, again, that _Reborn_ will have his hide if he doesn't follow through on this. He hastily turns back around and mentally pats himself on the back when he doesn't flinch at the intensity of the boy's gaze on him. "So, Hibari-kun, it's nice to finally meet you," He says, jovially.

Ignoring his greeting (which is to be expected, really, considering who Dino's dealing with here), Hibari very visibly sizes him up and seemingly dismisses him completely before he mulls it over and comes to a decision. Dino idly wonders if he should be offended. Regarding the mafioso carefully, the boy demands, "Tell me; do you know what this is?" He holds out a hand, palm up, and calls forth _a_ _Dying Will Flame holy shit._

It's small, only just the size of the kid's hand, and it is unmistakeably a Cloud flame. A small voice in the back of Dino's head points out that this, at least, was something he and Reborn had expected. Hibari already being completely capable of _summoning_ his flames, though? Yeah, that's a surprise. The fire fades just as swiftly, and the boy's impassive expression becomes impatient. Dino picks his jaw up off of the ground and composes himself.

Eyes narrowed, he replies, "It's a Dying Will Flame. How did you-"

"Sawada was running around with fire in his hair, but it never seemed to burn anything, and it didn't even give off a smell. And then I found about his connection to the Mafia." He interrupts smoothly, obviously anticipating Dino's question. He points out, tone disdainful, "It wasn't difficult to gain information about the Vongola's precious flames."

Feeling very much out of his depth, Dino sets aside his inquiries about Tsuna and asks, instead, "But how did you figure out how to use them? Or that you even had them?" Reborn had told Dino that Hibari wasn't affiliated with the Mafia. Even if he found out about the flames, which aren't exactly a secret in the Underground, anyway, there's no way he could have known how to _use_ them. Dino's job was to _teach_ Hibari about them.

His own eyes narrowed, the teen reveals with a sneer, "It's obvious The Baby expects me to join Sawada's _'family_.' The way he looks at me, as if its inevitable, really pisses me off." Suddenly, inexplicably, Hibari's balled hands start to glow purple with flames. The teen brings one of them up to his face and examines it, even as he continues, dryly, "Sawada is the Vongola boss candidate, so of course I'd have Dying Will flames as well."

'Pissed off', huh? Dino chuckles and then puts his hands up in surrender when Hibari glares at him. "Sorry, sorry. It's just... You need to have a strong resolution to summon Dying Will Flames; that's the only way." _It's supposed to be impossible to for a Guardian to use them without a Vongola ring_ _, though,_ he leaves unsaid, pulling out his whip and motioning for Romario to get a safe distance away. Hibari understands the implication and readies his tonfa.

Tsuna is fortunate to have such a competent Guardian, he thinks to himself moments before their weapons clash and again much later when both of them are panting and worse for the wear as both Romario and Kusakabe fuss over them like mother hens.

**III.**

"KyoooOOOOoooya!" is the only warning he receives before the door to his training quarters is thrown open, and Sasagawa appears, exuberant as always. Hibari's gaze, however, zeroes in on the baby perched on the boxer's shoulder and the familiar pacifier around his neck, immediately suspicious. "Hey! Kyouya, guess what? I've got a new mentor!"

Understanding the situation now, Hibari returns to his tea as if nothing had happened. "Get out."

"Whaaat?! You wanna fight, Kyouya?!" The enraged teenager shouts.

He calmly sips his green tea despite Sasagawa's increasingly loud threats. "No."

"Agghh! You're extremely irritating! I'll knock you down a few pegs!" He shifts into his usual boxing stance, and Hibari prepares to defend himself whilst appearing completely unconcerned.

"Hold it, kora!" The Other Baby speaks for the first time, effectively heeling Sasagawa, who seems to have only just remembered the toddler's existence. Addressing only Hibari this time, he divulges, "Hibari Kyouya, Reborn told me about you. Name's Collonello, kora." He nods a greeting, recognizing Collonello's strength and his link to The Baby.

The blond jumps to the ground and sends a Look at Sasagawa. He then turns his full attention on Hibari. "Ryohei wants to fight you. He believes that's the only way he'll get stronger, kora."

Surprised, Hibari looks to the boxer who catches his eye and nods enthusiastically. "We'll grow stronger together, Kyouya! To the extreme!"

At a loss for words, Hibari simply responds with a quiet "Hn."

"I've already spoken to the Cavallone, kora!" Collonello announces, drawing the attention of the room's occupants back to himself. Crossing his arms, the toddler says, "The Bucking Bronco gets you from morning 'till noon. We'll come by here to train when you're done with him."

Irritated at the decisions being made without any of his input but realizing that he doesn't have any real qualms other than that, he nods in agreement, and The Other Baby smiles while Sasagawa bellows, "Extreme!"

Kusakabe suddenly races into the room, looking harried as he explains, apologetically, "Sasagawa-san ran off as soon as I opened the door, Hibari-sama. If I'd have known-"

"Kusakabe."

Tetsuya keeps his surprise carefully tucked away at the mild reprimand and merely nods deferentially. He can't help glancing to the boxer fidgeting impatiently next to Hibari-sama, though. Hibari-sama had been violent and merciless as long as Kusakabe had known him, but, lately, all of his ire had been directed at himself (with no small amount spared for that bastard who'd defeated both Sasagawa and Hibari-sama a couple of months ago.) The members of the Discipline Committee have all been noticeably worried, Tetsuya included.

Since Hibari-sama had his private discussion with Reborn-san, he'd become even worse and worked himself even harder in the late hours of the night. Today, however, or even right now, the DC Head seems excited. His eyebrows aren't furrowed, and his mouth isn't an impassive line. A frown for Hibari-sama would be the equivalent of a grin for anyone else, and Hibari-sama is most definitely frowning at Sasagawa's mindless chatter (or, perhaps more likely, at the prospect of a good fight.)

"Are you two ready to spar, kora?" The Other Baby inquires, now held between the claws of a giant bird flapping its wings just enough to stay at the same relative height, which appears to be eye-level. Neither he nor Sasagawa bats an eye at the odd creature, but he catches Kusakabe holding his hand to his face in exasperation.

"I'm EXTREMELY ready, shishou!" Sasagawa proclaims, voice having grown even louder since his appearance. "C'mon, Kyouya!"

Not deigning to respond, Hibari eyes the tonfa at his side, contemplative. Despite his vigorous training (or re-training, really) the past few days, he hasn't actually ever used a sword against a live opponent. Hibari may have memories of sword fighting and of war, but _Sasuke_ is the only to have _experienced_ it. He'd been planning to keep his cards close to his chest, but problems could arise in a real fight that he wouldn't ever encounter in his training. He would _never forgive himself_ if he were to lose so pathetically again. Decision made, he ignores Sasagawa's taunts and steps into the next room, closing the door behind him purposely.

Various weapons adorn the walls and shelves, such as kunai, shuriken, ninja wire, and smoke bombs (most of which he'd had to have specially crafted to his exact specifications by a distant relative, who 'just so happens' to specialize in unique weaponry. The Hibari lineage is prestigious and Connected.) Absently, his eyes dart toward his bare wrists, and he's reminded of the bracelets he'd used to store his weaponry Before. He'd been quite proficient at fuinjutsu - that much, Orochimaru had made sure of. He'd been fixated on the more basic uses of his flames (or, really, anything a genin-level ninja could be expected to do, such as any semblance of control) since their discovery, but having his inventory limited to what he can fit on his person has - along with a number of other things - affected his ability to fight at full capacity. Still, these thoughts can wait for when he has time to himself to act upon them, so he brushes them aside.

His main chokutō is in the middle of the room, lined up neatly next to a few spares. He carefully picks it up and removes it from the scabbard. Although modeled after it, his new sword is no Kusanagi, hence the spares. However, it will have to suffice. The old man had promised durability, and Hibari hadn't been disinclined to believe him. As an afterthought, he places his tonfa in the newly empty space, instantly quelling the faint sense of loss that had surged up in their absence and, instead, reveling in the sense of _rightness_ he'd begun associating with this new weapon.

When he returns to the main room, Kusakabe seems unsurprised, Sasagawa practically squeals at the idea of taking on a new weapon, and The Other Baby pins him with a shrewd look, equally quizzical and calculating.

Hibari offers no explanation, and no one asks for one.

**IV.**

"Dino..." The older man sighs, and Kusakabe regards him out of the corner of his eye. The man, Romario-san, seems to be Dino-san's second-in-command, just as he is Hibari-sama's. He then takes in the scene that had elicited the sigh: Hibari-sama had just managed to nick Dino-san's cheek, leaving a very visible trail of blood. This injury is far from the first blood drawn in today's spar (or, as Kusakabe likes to call it, the 'Dino-san taunts Hibari-sama into a mindless rage for some reason' game. The score is Bucking Bronco - ∞, DC Head - 0), however. Both of them are littered in cuts via sword and whip, along with numerous rips and tears in their clothing. He barely resists the urge to sigh in exasperation himself.

"Dino isn't usually this aggressive," Romario-san says ruefully, and it takes Kusakabe a moment to realize the comment was directed toward him.

He glances at the brutal battle once more and then turns to the man leaning casually against the wall next to him, remarking dryly, "Hibari-sama usually _is_." He expects Romario-san to laugh at the admission, as most sane people would, but, instead, the older man nods in understanding.

Apparently correcting interpreting Kusakabe's confusion, Romario-san clarifies, "I've met all types of people in my line of work, Kusakabe-kun. Though, I must admit that Hibari-san is quite efficient despite his aggression."

Inwardly beaming at the complement, he nods his thanks and says in return, "Dino-san is proficient with that whip. It doesn't seem like a weapon that would be good for defense as well, but Hibari-sama really has to work to get any hits in." He adds under his breath, "...Although, it'd be nice if Hibari-sama didn't work himself so hard."

Kusakabe realizes that he must have been loud enough for the other man to hear when Romario-san responds with chagrin, "I wish the same of Dino."

The two take a moment to commiserate their woes, which is then interrupted when their bosses collapse to the ground out of exhaustion. Twin sighs are drowned by the heavy breathing emanating from the rooftop.

"Hibari-sama!" "Dino!"

**V.**

"I don't want to train anymore, Reborn!" Tsuna shrieks at the sadistic hitman, who had just woken him at an ungodly hour yet again.

The 'baby' smirks before training his expression into one of innocence, which immediately makes Tsuna wary. Guileless eyes blink up at him as he retorts, "Good. We're taking a break today, Dame-Tsuna."

"Eh?! Really?!" is his response because, really? Reborn has never been considerate of Tsuna's wishes before, so his tutor _must_ be up to something. And that something never means anything good for him. "Why?!"

He supposes he should have expected the kick to the face. "Don't be so cynical when I'm trying to do something nice for you, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn jumps to the floor, using Tsuna as a landing board and then pulls out a cup of coffee from seemingly nowhere.

"What that necessary?" He mumbles to himself as he stands from his slumped position on the floor. Glaring at the toddler, he asks, "Then why did you wake me up so early?"

"Heh. Mafia bosses always rise with the sun."

"I'm not going to be a Mafia boss, Reborn!" The hitman ignores him in favor of his drink, as usual, and Tsuna gives up trying to convince him. Still leery of the baby's 'kindness', he inquires, "I'm really on a break? No training at all?"

"Nope. No training at all." Tsuna brightens at the thought. Reborn adds, "You're going to observe Hibari's training."

"Hieeeeeeee?!" The mere thought causes him to shudder in fright. "Why?!"

Reborn levels him with a Look that Tsuna recognizes very well as Leon climbs into the baby's hands and morphs into a gun, which is, of course, pointing right at him. "Don't question me, Dame-Tsuna."

"Reborn!"

 _~~Kamikorosu_ _Kamikorosu_ _Kamikorosu_ _Kamikorosu_ _Kamikorosu_ _Kamikorosu~~_

 _In the end, I agreed to do it,_ he thinks self-deprecatingly, en route to Namichuu. Reborn hadn't accompanied him for once, stating something about Mafia business. He'd considered just going back home and sleeping, but the hitman would _know_ if he did, somehow, despite not actually witnessing it. He doesn't even want to imagine what sort of punishments would be awaiting him should that happen.

"Tenth!" "Tsuna!"

He recognizes the voices immediately and turns around to spot his friends heading his way. "Gokudera-kun! Yamamoto-kun!"

"I already told you to get lost, you baseball idiot!" Gokudera snarls at the swordsman as the two of them approach him.

Laughing, Yamamoto replies, "Now, now, Gokudera, no need to be so angry. I missed you guys, too."

"Wha-?! What do you even-?!" He splutters helplessly. Enraged, he spits out, "There's no way I'd ever miss an airhead like you!"

"Eheheh, guys..." Tsuna tries in an attempt to gain their attention and end the argument.

Cutting off whatever it was he was about to say, Gokudera performs another one of his miraculous personality 180's and chirps, "Tenth! I'm glad to see you're doing well! But, of course, I knew _you_ wouldn't have any problems with your training! The Tenth _is_ the Tenth, after all!"

"Right..." He says, thinking back to his ridiculously exhausting training with Reborn. Dismissing those thoughts, he asks, "And what about you guys?" Privately, Tsuna can envision Gokudera fighting easily, but not Yamamoto. Until now, Yamamoto had had no real prior combat experience; is it really possible to learn swordsmanship in so short a time period? Then again, _Tsuna_ has even less chances, considering he's always been the _victim_ of violence. Ugh, this whole Ring incident is too much!

His silver-haired friend exclaims, "Training is going amazing, Tenth! Just wait until I fight that Varia cronie! I'll win for sure!"

"I think I can pull off a win, too," Yamamoto declares carelessly, which rubs Gokudera the wrong way, the same as pretty much anything the friendly boy says.

Before yet another argument can break out, Tsuna inquires quickly, "So did you guys get a break, too?" _Although, it's not really a break_ , he muses dryly.

"I'm actually supposed to observe Hibari today," Gokudera reveals, prompting the baseball player's cheerful "Me, too."

It occurs to Tsuna then, as the three of them finally reach the school and head toward the roof, that Reborn's 'business' had probably had something to do with informing his friends of their 'breaks.'

Gokudera reaches the door first and holds it open for Tsuna, who thanks him and then ignores the boy's excuses a moment later for doing the same for a laughing Yamamoto. His gaze is fixed upon the blurs and occasional flashes of gleaming metal that encompass the fight in front of him. "Is that Hibari-san and Dino-san?" He blurts out, shocked. Tsuna can barely _see_ them.

"Correct. Dino-san and Hibari-sama have been sparring for over an hour now," a voice answers from his right, and Tsuna pivots around to find it belongs to the Second-in-Command of the Disciplinary Committee.

"Kusakabe-san," Tsuna greets. The boy nods at him in return. Registering what he'd just been told, he parrots, rhetorically, "An hour?" He returns his attention back to the fight, in awe despite himself. He'd always known Hibari-san was strong, but... If nothing else, Tsuna won't have to worry about Hibari-san during the Ring battles. He belatedly realizes his friends are standing on either side of him and observing the spar as well.

At some point (much, much later), the two come to a stopping point, both slightly haggard and bleeding but still rather fresh for another fight. Apparently only just noticing him, Dino says, "Tsuna?" Hibari-san glances over at him as well, but if he's surprised, he's not broadcasting it.

"So you're a swordsman, too, huh, Hibari?" Yamamoto inquires amiably, eyes gleaming.

Eh? Swordsman? His eyes shoot to the skylark's hands, and where there should normally have been a tonfa, there is a dangerous-looking sword. "You can use a sword?!" When had this development taken place? The last time he'd seen the DC Head, he'd been threatening students with his pair of _tonfa_. What is the world coming to when Hibari isn't even a constant anymore?!

"Oi! Hibari! Don't go switching weapons so thoughtlessly when you're supposed to be fighting in the Ring battles, too! Can you even use that thing?" Gokudera actually has the nerve to _scold_ Hibari _and_ question his swordsmanship. Tsuna's panicked "Hieeeee"s echoe inexplicably around the roof.

He manages to calm down, and silence reigns just as Hibari-san mutters, "Sakudera..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Saku-"

"-dera?"

He and Gokudera share a look of utter bewilderment. They all stare at Hibari, but he doesn't elaborate. Tsuna ventures cautiously, "Hibari-san, did you forget Gokudera-kun's name...?"

Hibari's face remains an impassive mask. Tsuna's shoulders slump. Yamamoto begins to laugh, and Gokudera yells at him. Kusakabe and Romario share their own significant glance. Dino merely seems amused.

By some unspoken agreement, Hibari and Dino charge at each other again, and the entire incident is fortunately (eventually) forgotten.


	7. apprendistato

**I.**

"Yamamoto-kun has requested to train with Hibari-kun," Dino reports wearily to Reborn, thoroughly bemused. Considering the kid's utter disregard for civility and obvious disdain for human contact - and, not to mention, his penchant for violence - one would think the other guardians would at least be _wary_ of him, not practically _lining up_ for one-on-one time. Tsuna's Rain Guardian takes carefree to a whole new level.

Granted, it would make sense to pit the two swordsmen together (and wasn't that a shock? Hibari just showed up one day with a blade in his hand without so much as an explanation, and Dino just kind of went with it), and according to Colonello, Sasagawa has shown significant improvement in his speed. One _does_ tend to develop better reflexes when avoiding a sword whilst simultaneously attempting to get a solid hit in. (That boy also has enough enthusiasm to make up for the rest of the guardians. Just where did the hitman _find_ these kids?)

Still, Dino kind of envies Reborn for only having to teach Tsuna, who would be much better company, especially with the way he looks up to Dino, even despite Reborn's harsh words (Honestly, he has no idea where his old tutor's pulling this '50% clumsier without his subordinates around' stuff from; Dino's hapless sometimes, but he's no klutz), and, more importantly, he has no one trying to filch him away from his mentor. ...Except for Dino, apparently.

Reborn smirks knowingly at the Chiavarone boss, and Dino withholds a sigh. Instead of responding to his plight, the hitman addresses the other Arcobaleno occupying Iemitsu's sitting room, which is where they'd taken to meeting up after seeing each of their students off for the day. "What about Ryohei?"

"He's completed his training, kora!" Colonello announces with a grin, obviously pleased. Dino grins back, surprised, but Reborn had expected as much, if his smug expression is anything to go by. "He caught on really quickly and decimated a boulder three times his size with his Maximum Cannon," He goes on proudly. "I think he might actually have a shot, kora."

Setting aside his coffee, after a moment of deliberation, Reborn orders, "Dino, add Yamamoto to your schedule and rearrange it so that they alternate - Yamamoto against Hibari, Ryohei against Yamamoto, and so on - starting tomorrow." Tilting his head toward the toddler across from him, he says, "You should oversee them as well."

"...Alright," Dino replies unenthusiastically, already envisioning his conversation with Hibari, which definitely won't be pleasant. He'd barely been able to convince the kid to spar with _him_. Suddenly, being the Vongola's closest ally seems like a terrible, terrible mistake.

Colonello, predictably, isn't taking the demand well, either. "I'm not one of your minions, kora!"

The two Arcobaleno dissolve into a one-sided argument as Dino bemoans his fate in the background.

**II.**

Sweat collects on his brow, and Takeshi spares a moment to wipe it off, only for his instincts to scream at him to _moveMOVE_. He barely dodges in time to avoid a vicious slice to his shoulder. He then hastily twists his torso, planting his feet just so, and executes his own strike, which his opponent easily deflects, fluidly switching tactics. Takeshi twirls away from the kunai in Hibari's previously empty hand, bringing his sword up to block one blade and parry the other as the upperclassmen follows him, not letting up for even a moment.

He doesn't bother to hold back a grin as they come face to face momentarily, genuinely enjoying their training for the 'mafia game'. Oh, he knows it's not a game at all - has known from the very beginning, in fact. Two-year old's, no matter how intelligent, couldn't possibly be so mature or wield guns so expertly, and Gokudera's bombs are obviously not the toys he likens them to be. (Though his hot-tempered friend's reaction to the baseball player's comments is endlessly amusing; he's such an interesting guy, ahaha.) That's not to mention all the other mafia-related incidents and people who have invaded Namimori recently.

Takeshi is no fool, and he's not taking the situation lightly. He simply acknowledges the need for his carefree attitude in order to relieve tension and allow a sense of normalcy. Tsuna becomes exasperated with him, but he _relaxes_. And Gokudera gets angry with him, but he forgets his worries, as well. His act isn't completely an act, either; he's lighthearted by nature, after all.

His reverie is interrupted when his sparring partner breaks the temporary stalemate, and the kunai disappears as he back-flips away. Yamamoto glimpses several shuriken now fitted between the older boy's fingers - He must have replaced them in mid-air - before he has to swerve to the right to avoid half of them, and his trusty blade swiftly deflects the remaining three. Jumping at the opportunity presented by the DC Head's lack of weaponry, he charges forward, form still rough around the edges but quickly beginning to mirror the effortless grace of his opponent. (He has always been a fast learner.)

Not entirely unexpectedly, the older boy easily sidesteps the sweeping arc of his blade, and Takeshi realizes his mistake as soon as his opponent moves behind him. The sharp end of a knife presses lightly against his throat in warning before he even has a chance to complete the swing of his sword from his _first_ strike, and he dutifully announces, "It's your win, Hibari."

"Hn." The boy removes the kunai without further comment and begins collecting the scattered weapons from around the room. Takeshi grins and moves to help him, thinking to himself - not for the first time - that choosing to train with Hibari had been a very good idea. His old man had just taught him Shigure Soen Ryu, and while he has absolute faith in its title as a flawless style and even in his ability to master it alone, he can't deny the relief he'd felt at being able to practice with another - _skilled_ \- swordsman. Nor can he deny the sheer _thrill_ of crossing blades that not even baseball, much as he adores it, manages to give him.

His smile dims, however, as the long-haired swordsman inevitably comes to mind, along with his crushing defeat. His jaw tightens, unbidden, as he squats down to pick up a few shuriken. He'd sworn to protect Tsuna - his friends - and yet he'd been so easily beaten. He catches sight of Hibari in his peripheral, and he wonders, a bit resentfully, if the older boy would have been able to succeed where Takeshi had failed. Sighing, he carefully tucks this bitterness away, as has become habit with any other emotions he doesn't want to acknowledge, and reminds himself of his resolve to become stronger _,_ but the topic of his musings remains.

Hibari Kyouya has always been a bit of a mystery; his actions are almost always contradictory. He's violent and yet protective. He's clearly a loner and yet has countless followers. And, most recently, he's never used anything other than tonfa (as far as anyone is aware) and yet is apparently adept with a variety of weapons, including a sword.

That last part had been a surprise but a pleasant one. Despite being a part of a team and, thus, being required to practice together, Takeshi has always felt isolated from his peers; he might as well have been training alone. Because of his genial nature, he was friends with everyone but close to no one. If it hadn't been for Tsuna, he wouldn't have been able to rectify that, wouldn't have Gokudera, Senpai, Kyoko-chan, Haru-chan, and Tou-chan, wouldn't be able to train with Hibari in order to protect all of his precious people.

He withholds his amusement at his memory of Tsuna's flailing and protests at fighting at all, feeling slightly guilty at his part in the brunet's dismay. He scratches his cheek with his free hand, telling himself that his friend _needs_ to do this, not only for the upcoming battles, but if they can expect more threats on his life in the future (and Takeshi is certain this will be the case.)

Scanning the rest of the dojo - which he'd suggested for their training since it was actually built for this kind of thing - he confirms that they've gathered the last of the tools, and he ambles over to where Hibari had been in the process of cooling down. Carefully, he sets them beside the others and then mimics the upperclassmen, knowing that it allows his muscles to relax and prevents his blood pressure from dropping too rapidly - which could otherwise possibly result in fainting - from his experience in baseball.

"Ne, Hibari, what sword style are you using?" He asks, curious.

The boy had begun the fight using a reverse-style grip, which had thrown Takeshi at first - He remembers seeing something similar in a film, but his knowledge of sword techniques is limited to what his father has taught him - and then the DC Head had switched grips whenever the situation had called for it. The style had been surprising and had reminded him vaguely of a few of his own forms, but it definitely wasn't Shigure Soen Ryu he'd encountered. He'd gotten the feeling that Hibari hadn't been pleased with his own performance, his strikes decisive but apparently lacking something. There was no mistaking the excitement that his opponent had felt at trading blows, however. He wonders if Hibari had been training alone until now, just as Takeshi had been.

Barely sparing him a glance, the other swordsmen responds curtly, "My own."

"Eh? So you created it?" He blurts out in shock.

Ever a man of few words, Hibari simply nods.

"Ahaha, I see," He laughs, for lack of anything else to say. In hindsight, he supposes it makes sense; he can't imagine the self-proclaimed carnivore finding anyone else worthy of teaching him anything of use. It's taken the _mafia boss_ of a _prestigious famiglia_ to goad him into training at all. An idea occurs to him, then, so he inquires, "Is there any advice you can give me?"

Finished with his exercises, the upperclassmen regards him with an unreadable expression, and Takeshi subconsciously straightens under the scrutiny. After what seems like an eternity, his lips curl into a mocking smile, and he offers, "You're not coming at me with killing intent. If you want to have any hope of defeating me - or anyone else - you'll have to attack me as if you're trying to kill me."

The words are spoken blandly, and Takeshi gets the impression that they hadn't originally come from Hibari. Nevertheless, he can't shake the chill they'd given him, despite already knowing that the man he's training to beat probably won't show any mercy for _him_. His mouth thins in grim determination.

The oppressive atmosphere is quite thoroughly shattered by a distant enthused shout of "Kyoooooouya!" from their resident boxer fanatic, who, presumably, has just arrived to snatch Hibari away for some of his own training. Takeshi manages to catch the slightest grimace on the other swordsman's face, and he can't help the laughter that spills out at such a discovery.

It seems that not even the 'Demon of Namimori' is immune to Senpai's enthusiasm.

**III.**

"He's taken up a sword, huh?" The CEDEF leader mutters thoughtfully. "And various other weapons?" He sends the hitman a _look_. "Sounds a lot like _him_ , wouldn't you say?" Iemitsu throws back another beer, and the toddler's mouth morphs into thinly veiled disgust. No one can deny the fact that the Young Lion of the Vongola had earned his title or claim he wasn't excellent at his job. In his opinion, however, the man had made a lot of poor decisions concerning his family, and his conduct at home - lounging around in his boxers, drinking himself into a stupor, and generally making a nuisance of himself - leaves something to be desired.

Reborn adjusts his fedora to shadow his expression, not bothering to answer. Since he'd begun Nono's request, a lot of pieces had been coming together, lining up to form a cohesive, if a bit suspicious, picture even without his influence. He'd nudged Yamamoto toward his current weapon, but with the boy having an ex-assassin swordsman for a father, he'd have been foolish _not_ to use such a readily available resource. The rest of the guardians had already been skilled with very similar weapons to _them_ , but now that Hibari has suddenly widened his arsenal, the 'two-year old' might allow himself to think, if only for a moment, that this is _it_ , that these children _are_ like _them.  
_

And when Ryohei actually manages to cajole their Cloud into bearing the other kids' presence, when Gokudera is completely serious about protecting _all_ of his friends, when Yamamoto correctly reads the tension in the room and expertly lightens the mood, when Tsuna says something hopelessly naive, surprisingly insightful, and successfully inspiring, he might also think to himself that they'll _change the world._

The World's Greatest Hitman didn't earn _his_ title by being blindly optimistic, however, so he reigns in these dangerous musings.

( _At least, until_ after _they defeat the Varia_ , he amends.)

**IV.**

Hibari Kyouya is not happy.

Such a statement is obvious; any passersby would be able to glean as much from a glance. Then again, if random bystanders were to be trusted, Hibari would also be a demon in disguise or, if they were scared or resentful enough, Satan himself. Hibari is neither of these things, and the general populace is equally incompetent.

On a normal day - which, for the Head of the Disciplinary Committee, naturally consists mostly of doling out discipline via his rounds throughout Namichuu and Namimori as a whole, interspersed with well-deserved naps - Hibari is not _un_ happy; he is content, sometimes. Usually, he's simply irritated, whether it be because of the aforementioned useless civilians or Sawada Tsunayoshi's shenanigans.

Ever since not-Kakashi bulldozed his way into the supposed mafia boss's life - and, subsequently, Hibari's - he has been more aggravated than usual, especially when the baby hitman drags him into his schemes, which _always_ involve crowding, unruliness, and herbivores (and he won't even have the decency to spar with him in compensation.)

What has sparked his _anger_ is everyone's sudden _presumption_ that he _is already part of the Vongola Family._ The sheer gall of these people - be they deadly mafioso or not - has given life to such contempt that he has not experienced since he was mentally _and_ physically Uchiha Sasuke. He'd intimidated the Chiavarone into exchanging information for any sort of cooperation from him, so he knows about his 'position' within the famiglia. _  
_

_Cloud Guardian._ One who doesn't stand with the family but always comes to their aid. He wasn't really surprised by the description of his _flames_ ; he'd already figured out their propagation ability. He _was_ startled at the assumption that he would, for no discernible reason, 'come to the aid' of the family at some point - startled and annoyed.

He is providing his assistance with the Varia because they're daring to threaten his territory; nothing more, nothing less. He has _no intention_ of joining Sawada's family or of becoming a _guardian_ to anyone outside of Namimori _._ He is not setting a precedent for future endeavors. Having his future decided for him without any of his input is completely unacceptable. How _arrogant_... How _foolish_ of them _._

He snarls, imbuing the shuriken clasped between each finger with more flames, and envisions the individual cells multiplying and then separating into entirely new clumps of cells - or, rather, shuriken. This process is both easier and more difficult than chakra-made clones. The _act_ comes naturally to him, but coaxing the elusive flames from his center, up his arms, into his hands, _and_ _then_ onto the weapons is taxing.

(Even simply focusing the energy in his hands or feet takes much more effort than he would like. Unfortunately, it seems his obstinate nature - personified by these flames - will be in itself an obstacle. From what the Chiavarone has told him, he can safely assume the other Dying Will flame affinities would be much more malleable.)

He flicks his wrist expertly, throwing the six projectiles at the various targets placed about the room, and twelve of them hit their marks. A bead of sweat trails down his face, but he pays it no heed. Unlike their chakra equivalents, these clones are solid, similar to the Idiot's favorite technique but without the huge energy cost. It's time-consuming, but even that won't be a problem for long. When he began cloning items, it took him nearly an hour; now, it takes mere minutes. He'll consider the jutsu complete when he gets it down to seconds.

Another major difference between the two types of clones is longevity. His clones won't cease to exist when met with enough force, nor do they require a constant supply of flames. This technique grants him access to an endless reserve of weapons, provided he is able to continuously clone them. He collects the many shuriken and kunai embedded in surfaces throughout the room and stores them in a pouch reminiscent of the standard shinobi gear he'd strapped to his leg as a genin, lamenting his lack of progress in sealing.

Hibari has long grown accustomed to inking his arms with storage seals in lieu of carrying bags, as well as the myriad other uses of the sealing art, so of course, another priority of his is to recreate the jutsu. The inflexible quality of the Cloud, however, has once again stymied all attempts to do so. Fuinjutsu requires precision and accuracy - both of which remain irritatingly out of his grasp when all he can manage to do with the purple fire is slightly alter its course through his limbs.

Nevertheless, all of his former power _can_ be regained - perhaps even surpassed - and he _will_ become the strongest, whether in this life, or the next, or however many lives he lives.

_(noonewillevertakeanythingawayfromhimagain)_

**V.**

"KyOuYa! It's the extreme me!" Ryohei throws open the sliding door and easily spots the one he'd been searching for sitting in the middle of the wooden floor, expression set in concentration. He glances around the wide space, taking in the battered targets and weapons strewn everywhere. His eyes narrow at the boy's bandaged fingers and the excess perspiration on his face and staining his clothing. As the teen turns to face him, the older Sasagawa plasters on an extreme grin and shouts, "I'm fighting one of those mafia guys - tomorrow night!"

His best friend frowns - which is different from his _usual_ I-just-ate-something-extremely-unpleasant face _-_ and demands tersely, "They're in Namimori?"

Ryohei nods and explains, "They attacked the cow that stays at Sawada's! The other little guy in the suit told me, so I extremely ran over to help! Then, these other people showed up and talked about stuff I didn't really understand! _But_ I know I'm going to fight and win to the extreme!" He pumps a fist in the air excitedly.

"Hn." Accepting the explanation, the boy gets a determined glint in his eye and goes back to his training, apparently ignoring the extreme boxer now.

The smile vanishes, and his eyebrows furrow at his friend's _un_ -extreme behavior. The DC Head has always been distant and dismissive, but lately, he's been... obsessed. The white-haired teen gets an idea, then.

"Kyoooouya~!" He suddenly dashes toward the seated male and flies into him before he can react - in effect, glomping him. "Let's have an extreme sleepover!"

The boy lets out a grunt in surprise, and Ryohei jumps off of him before he gets an elbow to the face. Snarling, Kyouya threatens, "I'll bite you to death."

Translating that to "What an extreme idea!", he replies, "I've never had a sleepover before!" He pretends not to hear the growl that follows his exclamation.

As an afterthought, he says, "I'll let Kyoko know, so she doesn't worry." He then proceeds to do just that.

(Kusakabe once again walks in on a strange sight that night, but unlike all the others, he doesn't want to immediately erase the mere memory from his mind. Hibari-sama is curled up in his futon as usual, but _tonight_ , a certain white-haired boxer has sprawled out over the Disciplinary Committee Head in his sleep, drooling childishly. He quietly closes the door and returns to his own room, equally anticipating and dreading the next morning.)

* * *

**OMAKE - (I totally didn't forget about Hibird!):**

The little bird flutters around before landing gently on his head, and Hibari closes his eyes with a yawn. The avian had - apparently - followed him out of the abandoned amusement park and hadn't left his side for very long since he'd been released from the hospital. Hibari hadn't been tempted to shoo the animal away, as it wasn't really a nuisance, and Kusakabe had promptly gotten one of his subordinates to buy feed for it after a day or so. The bird reminds him faintly of his old summons and how he'd flown so freely through the air Before.

As the last of consciousness slips away from him, he feels a weight lifted and hears the words to a very familiar song.

_"Always together, vigorous and gallant_

_Let's walk together to Namimori Middle School!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel the need to point out that this fic isn't going to delve into darker themes - at least, no more than the two shows themselves have gone. I've read so many stories lately that are gritty and disheartening - which, okay, I can understand, since they're going for realism - but this fic won't. There will inevitably be angst, but there's also going to be a decent amount of humor and fluff.


End file.
